Value retailer Primark is concentrating its expansion plans on large stores in dominant centres.
The group’s director of property, Tom Meager, told delegates at the BCSC conference in Manchester today that its strategy was not to have hundreds of small stores across the country.
He said: “We view large stores in a dominant centre as our strategy rather than having 300 shops dotted around and being the local hero. It’s economies of scale. Simple maths.”
Meager also used the conference to warn against changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. He said that the changes would only benefit supermarkets and would push development to the edge of town and city centres.
“I have got concerns with the government plans for changing city centres,” said Meager. “The government needs to address the common interest… As barrier to development is ownership (of land and property). The government could push development further to the periphery.”
noella.pio.kivlehan@estatesgazette.com
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