Princes Street gets its Primark at last

Edinburgh’s first Primark opened its doors at 9am on Saturday 10 December, with an abundance of panda cuddly toys at the ready by every till, although some shoppers had arrived at 6am, citing the recession-friendly prices as reason for their devotion.

One customer also remarked positively on Primark’s prices allowing for disposable fashion, one of the main criticisms levelled against the company by environmental campaigners and in the fashion press.

The store is Primark’s Scottish flagship, and its second largest in the UK after Manchester, with the Oxford Street store the third largest. The store has an ‘A-grading’, meaning all Primark stock available anywhere will be found there.

Edinburgh was recently criticised as being ‘left behind’ in Glasgow’s wake as a retail destination by the UK Commercial Property Trust, which said that focusing on tourism had led the capital to miss out on commercial opportunities, although one Primark shopper speculates that the store will actually boost tourism as well as retail in the city.

What do you think?

Has Edinburgh prioritised heritage over retail? And if so, was it right to do so?

Will Primark’s arrival affect that balance?