An Exclusive Sneak Peek Inside Primark’s New King of Prussia Megastore

It's 80,000 square feet of, well, everything.
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Storefront

The brand’s new storefront features four video screens. | Lauren McGrath.

If you don’t know Primark by now, you should. It’s Europe’s favorite fast-fashion retailer, with merchandise similar in quality to that of Forever 21 and H&M, but at even lower prices (seriously, $20 for this velvet jumpsuit?). The breadth of the offerings is enormous men’s, women’s, kids, home, beauty, activewear – and in-store merchandise changes over every single day. The best part? Primark pays all of their manufacturers a competitive, living wage, so you don’t have to raise an eyebrow at the insanely low prices you see on the tags. Primark simply has lower profit margins, so that you, the shopper, can get more bang for your buck.

We got an exclusive first look inside Primark’s brand new, ginormous (80,000 square feet!), sensory overload of a store in King of Prussia – the brand’s second US store, which opens tomorrow at 11am. It’s got over 350 light boxes, 200 mannequins, 90 fitting rooms, and a huge 70-foot video screen at the entrance. Here’s what to shop, what to skip, and what to get excited for.

Stairwell

Lauren McGrath.

Mannequins line the stairs leading down to the main floor, dressed in seasonal styles to get you in the holiday mood.
Christmas Sweaters

Lauren McGrath.

Although the knitted material may be a little scratchy, you really can’t beat a $14 Christmas sweater you’ll wear to at least one holiday party.
Scarves and Hats

Lauren McGrath.

Winter accessories, on the other hand, are soft, cozy and cute. Try to resist the insanely low-priced winter coats, opting instead for the plaid blanket scarves and knitted hats that feel more durable.
Roundabout Center

Lauren McGrath.

Women’s styles take up about 60 percent of the massive store, with men’s, children’s and home goods taking up the rest of the space. The huge store makes it easier to shop styled looks on display by putting the merchandise racks right next to the mannequins wearing the looks.
Denim

Lauren McGrath.

The denim bar carries stretchy pairs in mostly skinny styles, starting at $7. The men’s section has a similar setup for denim and chinos, tapered in a very European way without looking skinny. While we can’t say how long these pairs might last, jeans that cost less than lunch are pretty hard to pass up.
Men's Shoes

Lauren McGrath.

The shoe selection for men, women and kids, is overwhelmingly large (that’s the men’s section, above). The styles range from super casual to dressy, with shoes like these sneakers starting at $12 a pair. They may not hold up the longest, but these kicks are great for a quick, cheap wardrobe update. Hey, you can even wear them to work!
Suits

Lauren McGrath.

While the store carries tons of leisurewear (and a pretty awesome selection of activewear), they also carry some more formal options for men and women. The suit on the left is a steal at $70 for the set, but I would splurge for the Donegal wool on the right that feels a little more luxe.
Kids and Fitting

Lauren McGrath.

The store is made to be super customer-friendly, with lots of lounging areas tricked out with USB ports and plugs to recharge your technology and rest those weary shopping legs.
Fitting Room Pics

Lauren McGrath.

The brand is all about social media, with in-store displays encouraging you to share your looks on Instagram and Facebook. The images in the installment shown above are all customer photos from social media that have been tagged #primania. Yours could be featured there, too!
Men's Fitting

Lauren McGrath.

Speaking of fitting rooms, did we mention there are 90 in the store? They’re broken into men, women, boys and girls, each decorated with cool colors, geometric forms, and tons of mirrors. The kids’ fitting rooms each have a little banquette for moms and dads to assist the dressing process and rest their feet for a minute.
Fitting Room W

Lauren McGrath.

In addition to rows and rows of individual fitting rooms, the women’s dressing room has one big, communal section where you can try things on with your friends without having to step into the hallway and show the entire world what you’re trying on.
Roundabout

Lauren McGrath.

The store floor is broken into sections ranging from activewear to home to beauty to babies. Right in the middle where all the sections converge, there’s this roundabout with TVs showing the clothes in motion. (Interesting tip: The store has no overhead tunes playing, so you can shop in peace, with audio only playing at specific displays.)
Bras

Lauren McGrath.

The brand’s most popular lingerie item is their no-frills $3.50 t-shirt bra (not shown above). While it may not be as soft as, say, a Victoria’s Secret bra, it’s great in a pinch. Also, be sure to scoop up plenty of $1.50 underwear, and take a spin through the impressive PJ section. The slippers are divine.
Kid Shoes

Lauren McGrath.

Primark offers an adorable selection of kids clothes that are on-trend and super-cheap. At the rate little ones grow, this is how all kid’s clothes should be priced (and designed).
Accessories

Lauren McGrath.

In the accessories section, skip the faux fur and make a beeline for these chunky necklaces. As for the home section adjacent to accessories, we recommend setting aside the semi-scratchy towels and bedsheets; instead, grab a scented candle and a few cute throw pillows for your pad.
Blue Hair

Lauren McGrath.

This Ireland-based mega-retailer plans to open ten US stores by the end of 2016. It already has over 295 locations in Europe’s most fashionable cities, including London, Paris and Barcelona. Philadelphia is one of the few cities that will have two Primark locations, with the second Willow Grove Mall store set to open in June.

A reminder: The store opens tomorrow, November 25th, at 11am. Get there early (there will most likely be a crowd) to check out the space and snag some great deals on clothes, beauty products and home goods. Welcome to Philly, Primark!

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