Primark to open in former BHS at Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells before Christmas
A new Primark will open in Kent before Christmas, the fashion retailer has confirmed.
The county’s newest branch will take over the former BHS unit at Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells.
News of the shop, which will be the borough’s first Primark, was first announced last August when the local authority revealed the brand had bought the building in Calverley Road.
The 31,000 sq ft store will span two floors, offering customers Primark’s fashion, kidswear, beauty, lifestyle and home ranges.
More than 100 jobs will be created, with the retailer already recruiting employees.
An exact date has not yet been set but the branch will open its doors to customers sometime in November.
Shop manager Kyle Brace said: “It’s a real privilege to be opening our new store in Royal Tunbridge Wells this November.
“We’re building a fantastic team of over 100 colleagues from the local area and every role is a great opportunity to start or grow a career with Primark.
“There’s already a real buzz about our arrival and together we can’t wait to welcome shoppers into their new store and deliver the great value fashion and everyday essentials they know and love, right here in the heart of the town.”
The opening date news comes after Primark confirmed earlier this month it would be shutting its Dartford branch in the new year – marking its first branch closure in this country in more than a decade.
The decision was made due to the “significant and extensive repair work” the building in The Orchards Shopping Centre requires.
The retailer is also making redundancies across 50 of its stores nationwide, with its branch in Maidstone affected.
Bosses found that too many employees at some locations are working weekday shifts rather than the weekend, which are peak shopping times.
Since early this year, Primark says it has been in discussions with around 900 employees whose shifts are not aligned with the needs of their store regarding shift flexibility.
On Monday (September 22), it proposed to enter a voluntary redundancy programme for eligible staff as part of an efficiency-driving exercise.
A Primark spokesperson said: “We’re constantly reviewing our store operations across our entire GB estate, as part of which we’ve identified that our Maidstone store doesn’t currently have the right number of colleagues available at peak customer times.
“We’ve been in conversation with colleagues for a number of months to explore their flexibility.
“However, as we’ve not been able to resolve this, we are now proposing a voluntary redundancy programme.”
“We understand this is a difficult time for those impacted and we’re doing everything we can to support them through the process.”
