Huge crowds and long queues as Madrid shoppers go Primark crazy
Shoppers face restricted access to control crowds a week after the low-cost fashion chain opened its largest shop in mainland Europe.
The Irish low-cost fashion chain Primark kicked off celebrations to launch its new store in Madrid a week ago, but the hubbub apparently has hardly died down as residents have been complaining about the "obstacle course" created by the endless stream of shoppers trying to enter the store.
Local newspaper Madrid Diario reported on Thursday that queues for the store had spilled over onto smaller streets off of the main entrance on Gran Via, a major shopping street in the Spanish capital. The newspaper wrote that delivery trucks and cars have had trouble driving around the streams of pedestrians.
To combat overcrowding inside, store officials have fenced off areas for shoppers to stand in line outside, handing out numbers to make sure the store remains within its capacity limits.
One Irish-Spanish journalist compared getting into Primark to trying to get into a nightclub while underage.
LIVE on #Periscope: Getting in to #primark in Madrid is like trying to get into a nightclub when you're 17. https://t.co/VruIUn1km8
— Pablo Foley Elias (@pablofoleyelias) October 21, 2015
Newspaper El Pais reported that shoppers have often waited up to an hour just to enter the store, days after the grand opening and even during the work week.
Pictures posted on Twitter showed lines stretching for blocks on Thursday, with some describing "infinite queues" and complaining of the controls.
The line @ 7pm to get into @Primark Madrid. Wow! around 3 sides of the block! What do they have in there?..... pic.twitter.com/CZ7Kp1toZ1
— Jeffrey Becker (@jtbskier) October 22, 2015
Outside Prisa building in Madrid. Those queues for a celebrity interviewee? Hell no, they are for the new #Primark pic.twitter.com/IDuUBULOOq
— Steve Godman (@godders) October 22, 2015
Sistema de control de entrada exagerado en la nueva tienda PRIMARK. Colas infinitas. #PrimarkGranVia #Madrid pic.twitter.com/uyyrsxMZB3
— PILAR R-IRIZABAL (@PILIRUBINA) October 22, 2015
"Excessive systems of control at the new Primark shop. Infinite queues."
The Madrid store is flanked by two other major retailers - H&M and Mango. Madrid Diario reported that though managers of some neighbouring stores said Primark's presence is beneficial in bringing in more shoppers - especially when they mistakenly enter, thinking they're in Primark - the overcrowding also seems to prevent people at times from getting through to other stores.
A retail analyst wrote on Twitter that the continued popularity since the opening is a positive sign.
@Primark long queues to enter the Gran Via store in Madrid a week after the opening, a success unseen in years! pic.twitter.com/aUzj0KIZW3
— Carlos Hernández (@CarlosOnRetail) October 22, 2015
The Gran Via store itself is huge: five floors and more than 12,000 square metres of space.
The Madrid shop is Primark’s second biggest in the world, after Manchester. It brings the number of stores in Spain to 40, and its Spanish workforce to 7,300.
Comments
See Also
The Irish low-cost fashion chain Primark kicked off celebrations to launch its new store in Madrid a week ago, but the hubbub apparently has hardly died down as residents have been complaining about the "obstacle course" created by the endless stream of shoppers trying to enter the store.
To combat overcrowding inside, store officials have fenced off areas for shoppers to stand in line outside, handing out numbers to make sure the store remains within its capacity limits.
One Irish-Spanish journalist compared getting into Primark to trying to get into a nightclub while underage.
LIVE on #Periscope: Getting in to #primark in Madrid is like trying to get into a nightclub when you're 17. https://t.co/VruIUn1km8
— Pablo Foley Elias (@pablofoleyelias) October 21, 2015
Newspaper El Pais reported that shoppers have often waited up to an hour just to enter the store, days after the grand opening and even during the work week.
Pictures posted on Twitter showed lines stretching for blocks on Thursday, with some describing "infinite queues" and complaining of the controls.
The line @ 7pm to get into @Primark Madrid. Wow! around 3 sides of the block! What do they have in there?..... pic.twitter.com/CZ7Kp1toZ1
— Jeffrey Becker (@jtbskier) October 22, 2015
Outside Prisa building in Madrid. Those queues for a celebrity interviewee? Hell no, they are for the new #Primark pic.twitter.com/IDuUBULOOq
— Steve Godman (@godders) October 22, 2015
Sistema de control de entrada exagerado en la nueva tienda PRIMARK. Colas infinitas. #PrimarkGranVia #Madrid pic.twitter.com/uyyrsxMZB3
— PILAR R-IRIZABAL (@PILIRUBINA) October 22, 2015
"Excessive systems of control at the new Primark shop. Infinite queues."
The Madrid store is flanked by two other major retailers - H&M and Mango. Madrid Diario reported that though managers of some neighbouring stores said Primark's presence is beneficial in bringing in more shoppers - especially when they mistakenly enter, thinking they're in Primark - the overcrowding also seems to prevent people at times from getting through to other stores.
A retail analyst wrote on Twitter that the continued popularity since the opening is a positive sign.
@Primark long queues to enter the Gran Via store in Madrid a week after the opening, a success unseen in years! pic.twitter.com/aUzj0KIZW3
— Carlos Hernández (@CarlosOnRetail) October 22, 2015
The Gran Via store itself is huge: five floors and more than 12,000 square metres of space.
The Madrid shop is Primark’s second biggest in the world, after Manchester. It brings the number of stores in Spain to 40, and its Spanish workforce to 7,300.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.