Primark is the Irish fast-fashion retailer founded in 1969 under the name Penneys.
The first shop opened in June 1969 at 47 Mary Street in Dublin. Arthur Ryan established the business with Micaela Mitchell on behalf of the Weston family, whose company later became Associated British Foods. The retailer initially traded as Penneys in Ireland and expanded to Cork and Belfast in 1971.
The name changed outside the Republic of Ireland because of a trademark conflict with the American retailer JCPenney. After a settlement in 1976, the business used Penneys in the Republic of Ireland but adopted Primark elsewhere, including the United Kingdom and other international markets.
This creates a common source of confusion: Penneys and Primark are not competing chains. They are the same retailer operating under different names by market. Primark sells clothing, accessories, footwear, beauty products, housewares, and other low-priced merchandise, and remains a subsidiary of Associated British Foods.