Fast fashion retailer Primark has opened the doors of its flagship 54,000 square foot store in Midtown Manhattan, taking the total number of US stores to 40.

The store’s Herald Square location is positioned to capture high commuter and tourist footfall, the retailer said.

The launch day featured several events to celebrate the opening of the flagship store, including a ribbon cutting, giveaways for those first in line and a “block party” featuring live music, photo opportunities and food.

“This is a landmark moment for Primark in the United States as we open our incredible new flagship at the epicentre of American fashion,” said Kevin Tulip, president of Primark US.

“The excitement and buzz around the brand is already building across Manhattan – from busy stores in the surrounding boroughs, to lines stretching blocks at our pop-up Primark Studio in NoHo, we're expecting strong demand from New Yorkers and tourists for the store. This is our biggest US opportunity yet”.

Primark opened its first US store in 2015, and now has 39 others across the country. Most recently, the brand opened a store in Hurst, Texas, on 30 April.

Last week, Primark announced plans to invest more than €85 million across Spain and Portugal to expand and upgrade its stores across the countries.

Primark said the investment programme combines new store openings with a series of refurbishments designed to modernise existing locations and improve the in-store shopping experience.

Last month, Primark’s owner, Associated British Foods, announced its intention to split Primark [IH1.1]from the rest of the company following an in-depth review, which it said would bring benefits to both parties and increase their accountability to shareholders.

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