Primark continues to expand in Spain, despite recent store closures

In an unlikely turn of events, Irish fashion value chain Primark has closed its

store in shopping center Plaza Imperial, in Zaragoza Spain in the run up to the opening of its Tenerife store.

With the opening of its new store in Tenerife on February 27, Primark will have a total of 39 stores in Spain and there are future plans to increase the number over the course of this year. The 3000 square meter store is located in the Meridian Mall, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and has created 130 new jobs.

"This opening is the next step in the expansion strategy that Primark is conducting in Spain. With the new store in Tenerife, Primark will have a total of three stores in the Canary Islands," said the fashion value retailer in a company statement.

The store in Zaragoza closed its doors end of January, as the mall itself was shut down due to lack of visitors. Other fashion retailers such as Zara left the failing shopping center over a year ago, in search of a new retail location. The store closure was not the first of its kind, last fall Primark closed its store in Dolce Vita shopping center, in La Coruña. Both locations were struggling with a declining amount of visitor footfall.

Nevertheless, Primark is committed to its Spanish market as its first European store opened just outside of Madrid in 2006. Since then Spain has grown to be the company's second largest market in terms of number of stores, after the UK and Ireland.