Kevin Tulip, President of Primark US, joins So Much More to celebrate the arrival of Primark at Mall of America, the global fashion retailer’s first Minnesota location. Recorded just one day before the grand opening, Kevin takes us behind the scenes of this highly anticipated retail debut.
We talk about how Primark came to Mall of America, why Minnesota was an important market, and what shoppers can expect from a brand known for combining fashion, quality and value. Kevin also shares what it takes to prepare for a major grand opening, including Primark’s in-store experience, a special Rotunda pop-up and creators visiting from around the country.
Plus, we explore what Primark’s arrival says about the future of retail, destination shopping and experiential retail and why global brands continue to choose Mall of America for their Minnesota debut. NOTE: The Primark store at Mall of America opened the week before this episode is broadcast.
1:35 Primark is an Irish fashion retailer that delivers value and style
3:30 Learning about the US shoppers and their habits
4:50 Why Primark chose to open at Mall of America, timing and location were key
8:45 The customer journey inside Primark, what guests can expect to find
16:40 Grand opening festivities, team building and beyond
22:40 How the brick-and-mortar experience continues to evolve
27:05 A Primark speed-round of guest-facing questions: everything you need to know
Visit: https://www.primark.com/en-us
Visit: https://www.mallofamerica.com/directory/primark
Guests: Kevin Tulip, President of Primark US
Hosts: Jill Renslow, Carrie Charleston
Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.
00:00 --> 00:04 Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining,
00:04 --> 00:08 and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories presented
00:08 --> 00:12 by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism. Hello, Mall of America fans.
00:12 --> 00:15 Welcome to this episode of So Much More. I'm Jill Ronsel, your host for today's
00:16 --> 00:19 podcast, and I am joined by my friend and colleague Carrie Charleston.
00:19 --> 00:23 She is our head and VP of leasing, and we are recording an
00:24 --> 00:26 episode on a really exciting day because tomorrow,
00:26 --> 00:30 tomorrow here in early September, Primark officially opens its
00:30 --> 00:34 first Minnesota location right here at Mall of America. Get ready
00:34 --> 00:38 to shop because this is an amazing store. So if you've walked anywhere near the
00:38 --> 00:42 store lately, you will know that there's a lot happening behind the scenes. We're so
00:42 --> 00:45 excited for you guys to check out this new store. Joining us today is Kevin
00:46 --> 00:49 Tulip. He is the president of Primark US. He's going to talk to us about
00:49 --> 00:52 why he chose Primark here in Minnesota and Mall of America and what
00:53 --> 00:56 it takes to bring a global brand into a new market. And most importantly,
00:56 --> 01:00 what shoppers are going to experience when they open their doors tomorrow
01:00 --> 01:03 here in September. So Kevin, Carrie, welcome to So Much More.
01:03 --> 01:06 Thank you very much. Thank you. Very excited. So let's start with— Yeah, I know,
01:06 --> 01:09 we are, we've been waiting so long for this store to open. We are so
01:10 --> 01:13 excited. So Kevin, let's start with you. Let's just start with basics. Primark has an
01:14 --> 01:18 incredibly loyal following around the world, but there are still Minnesotans that
01:19 --> 01:21 may be experiencing the brand for the very first time as we open the doors
01:21 --> 01:25 here at Mall of America. So if you had 30 seconds only to convince someone
01:25 --> 01:29 that they need to walk inside Primark, what is your elevator pitch
01:29 --> 01:33 that you give to them? Yep, so Primark is an Irish fashion retailer,
01:33 --> 01:36 and we are all about value. And for us,
01:36 --> 01:40 that's style, it's quality, and it's price. We were
01:40 --> 01:44 born on the idea that you should be able to feel at your best at
01:44 --> 01:48 all times. And that's something that we believe in and that we deliver
01:48 --> 01:53 everywhere we go. I love it. So what surprises that first-time Primark
01:53 --> 01:56 shopper when they walk through your doors? What we love to see, and best part
01:57 --> 02:00 of my job is that, People are in the store, they're shopping in an incredible
02:00 --> 02:04 environment, a fantastic store design, beautifully laid out,
02:04 --> 02:08 and then they see something they love, pick it up, and actually
02:08 --> 02:12 then look at the price tag. And a dress that's $12, a pair of
02:13 --> 02:17 denim jeans that are $10 on ladieswear, a t-shirt that's $4.50,
02:18 --> 02:22 that feeling of falling in love with something and then realizing that I can
02:22 --> 02:25 afford it is what we're all about. And we'll
02:25 --> 02:30 definitely be seen tomorrow. I love it. So starting in Ireland, now a global retailer,
02:30 --> 02:34 hundreds of stores. What do you think has been the secret to building
02:34 --> 02:37 the success of this type of nature? Yeah, I think
02:38 --> 02:41 we are almost a 60-year-old fashion retailer now,
02:42 --> 02:46 and we've learned a lot of lessons as we've gone. But I think our customers
02:47 --> 02:50 are incredibly savvy. It's not just
02:51 --> 02:55 about price. They absolutely want sharp pricing, but they want up-to-date trends.
02:55 --> 02:58 They want great quality staple basics.
02:59 --> 03:02 And we see pretty quickly where our
03:03 --> 03:06 customer shops, what they buy, and also what they don't. And we move
03:06 --> 03:10 quickly. We make decisions quickly based on that. So I think the
03:10 --> 03:14 decades of learning lessons right the way throughout Europe—
03:15 --> 03:18 we started in Ireland, moved into the UK, but even in
03:18 --> 03:22 the US in the last 10 years, we've learned so much about our customer
03:23 --> 03:26 across the US. So how is it different than the
03:27 --> 03:30 international shopper, global shopper that you've had since the very beginning?
03:31 --> 03:34 What are you learning about that US shopper that might surprise you? I think the
03:34 --> 03:38 big surprise for me has been, you know, in Europe, a lot of our stores
03:38 --> 03:41 are in city centers. People live, work, spend a lot of
03:41 --> 03:44 their time in city centers. So they pop into our stores much
03:45 --> 03:48 more frequently, but actually are buying a lot less when they're in
03:48 --> 03:52 there. When a US consumer, particularly in a mall store,
03:52 --> 03:55 and malls are where we do most of our business, the shopping trip is,
03:56 --> 03:59 is so much more. They're spending so much more time in your store.
04:00 --> 04:03 So really how we lay the store out, what products we have in there,
04:03 --> 04:07 how we think about that journey throughout the store has been
04:07 --> 04:10 very different for us in the US. And sometimes it's small changes,
04:10 --> 04:15 small nuances, but actually it makes a huge difference in terms of that in-store shopping
04:15 --> 04:19 experience for our customer. So is the actual store design different in the US than
04:19 --> 04:21 you'd see overseas? Some parts of it, you know, whether it be the fitting rooms
04:22 --> 04:25 or the checkouts, just how we think about that in-store experience and
04:25 --> 04:28 how we think about a customer spending so much more time in one of our
04:29 --> 04:32 stores, or maybe doing more shopping for the kids in the
04:33 --> 04:36 US store versus what someone might do in Europe. Very small
04:37 --> 04:41 things, but actually make a huge difference when we think about that
04:41 --> 04:44 customer journey. Smart. So you're here in Minnesota, Mall of America.
04:44 --> 04:47 Finally. How did we get you here? I know Carrie's been moaning
04:47 --> 04:51 about it. Long time coming. Finally. I think we started
04:51 --> 04:55 in 2015 with our first store in downtown Boston.
04:55 --> 04:59 And as an Irish retailer with big,
04:59 --> 05:02 big American dreams, we needed to test
05:03 --> 05:06 and trial and see whether the US consumer resonated with what
05:06 --> 05:10 Primark had to offer. So our first few years were
05:10 --> 05:12 quite formative around Boston,
05:13 --> 05:15 New York, very much Northeast,
05:16 --> 05:19 testing and trialling and seeing what worked and what didn't.
05:20 --> 05:23 After that, we then really started to stretch our legs a bit, and that was
05:23 --> 05:27 very much around some additional stores in the Northeast. We took our
05:27 --> 05:31 first step for a first store in Chicago. We took our first
05:31 --> 05:35 step for a store in Florida. But we are exceptionally
05:35 --> 05:38 picky. We aren't just opening
05:38 --> 05:42 stores anywhere. This isn't growth for growth's sake. It's about turning up
05:44 --> 05:48 in locations that we know are going to be successful for Primark. And we
05:48 --> 05:51 take our time. I mean, Cory and I have met before, and plenty of my
05:52 --> 05:55 predecessors. There are a lot of Primark folks who will have spent a
05:56 --> 06:00 lot of time in the mall, engaging with the team here, meeting customers and
06:00 --> 06:04 really making sure that it's not just the right mall, but the
06:04 --> 06:06 right space. Mall of America, of course,
06:07 --> 06:10 is exceptional and has always been a very
06:10 --> 06:14 exciting prospect for us. But to get the right space and make sure
06:15 --> 06:18 that everything was right for us has taken some time. So it is an
06:19 --> 06:22 incredible moment to be here on the eve of
06:22 --> 06:26 our store opening tomorrow. I was just at the store with the team. I can't
06:26 --> 06:28 begin to tell you how excited everyone is to cut that ribbon tomorrow and,
06:29 --> 06:32 and, and start trading. We've learned that big things sometimes take a little time
06:32 --> 06:36 to carry out. Timing is everything, right, on that. But you guys
06:36 --> 06:39 did do a lot of due diligence, a lot of thoughtful,
06:39 --> 06:43 um, analysis of everything during the negotiation
06:43 --> 06:46 time. And of course, you had our property American Dream as well, so we had
06:47 --> 06:51 that relationship there. Exactly. Um, but we're so happy that you guys are finally
06:51 --> 06:54 here. And I know I got a sneak peek at the space too, and what
06:54 --> 06:58 I noticed is that the way people were shopping when I got that
06:59 --> 07:02 sneak peek was they were loading up these large buckets
07:03 --> 07:06 in the store and just like walking through the store, loading up as much
07:06 --> 07:10 as they could fit, which that was really fun to see. So the excitement
07:10 --> 07:13 is definitely here. And Carrie, what did you feel that with Primark that
07:14 --> 07:17 it was such a perfect fit for us, that fight, knowing that
07:18 --> 07:21 we need to have it here at Mall of America? What was it from your
07:21 --> 07:24 perspective? As Kevin said, the value,
07:24 --> 07:27 the fashion on-trend designs that they have,
07:28 --> 07:32 the family demographic that we have here at Mall of America, all of those things
07:32 --> 07:36 were such a natural fit. In addition to that, I think
07:36 --> 07:40 I was sharing this earlier, you know, we have over 180 first-to-market stores
07:40 --> 07:44 that have debuted their brand here at Mall of America. So that's also
07:44 --> 07:48 another angle that we were going for is that we wanted to have the
07:48 --> 07:51 first Primark and introduce the brand to our guests,
07:52 --> 07:54 not only Minnesota, regional, international.
07:56 --> 08:00 You guys have both alluded to the product, and it's so much more
08:00 --> 08:03 than apparel. So can you talk a little bit more about what the customer will
08:04 --> 08:07 experience, the fact that it's men, women,
08:08 --> 08:10 kids? Like, so talk a little bit about the assortment that they're going to walk
08:10 --> 08:14 into. So, yes, it's women, men's, and kids.
08:15 --> 08:18 There's fun collaborations that you guys do that
08:19 --> 08:22 I've seen, and not only with Disney, but the NFL as
08:22 --> 08:25 well. So there's some fun collaborations, but there's home, there's travel,
08:26 --> 08:30 Um, there's so many different accessories overall. There's handbags,
08:30 --> 08:34 there's so many— you can get literally everything for
08:34 --> 08:37 yourself and your family, um, and even your home inside the store.
08:37 --> 08:40 So, and maybe you can share a little bit more about that discovery, because it
08:40 --> 08:43 really is a discovery is how you're going to shop the store. Yeah, for sure.
08:43 --> 08:46 I mean, you know, women's, men's, kids are all sort of our key categories.
08:46 --> 08:49 But within that, as you said, Carrie, you know, accessories,
08:50 --> 08:53 footwear, we've definitely got some homeware pieces. Travel shop
08:53 --> 08:57 has been an incredible part of our US growth, actually, um, and even stronger
08:58 --> 09:01 than seen in Europe. But kids particularly, I think,
09:02 --> 09:05 is where people are going to really see some just incredible
09:05 --> 09:09 pieces on kids, where we've got everyday essentials,
09:09 --> 09:13 we've got fantastic fashion. But as you were alluding to there,
09:13 --> 09:16 we do a great partnership with— we've got Disney,
09:16 --> 09:20 we've got Netflix, we've got NBA, NFL. And actually,
09:20 --> 09:23 it's our product. We work with those partners, but it's our product.
09:24 --> 09:27 So it's that same fantastic Primark price
09:28 --> 09:31 that you would expect with a licensed product. And on kids particularly,
09:32 --> 09:36 it has been so successful for us. I was just saying earlier, we were cutting
09:36 --> 09:40 a ribbon 2 weeks ago down in Vineland in Florida,
09:40 --> 09:43 and 500 people at the door ready to shop our Disney
09:43 --> 09:46 Shop 'n Shop that we opened down there. So it's been an incredible part of
09:47 --> 09:50 our business. And if I look at the family demographic that already
09:51 --> 09:55 shops here, I'm sure it's going to be a huge success for us in
09:55 --> 09:58 the store. Well, as we're in the back-to-school season, we talk a lot about that
09:59 --> 10:02 where people get started on some of their essentials, maybe backpack and
10:03 --> 10:04 tennies, but they want to go back to school, see what the kids are wearing,
10:05 --> 10:08 and then add to their wardrobe. So it's perfect timing for back-to-school because
10:08 --> 10:12 it really gives families an affordable option to expand
10:12 --> 10:15 their wardrobes for back-to-school and getting some more of those essentials, but also getting some
10:16 --> 10:20 of those fashion pieces that they can lean into. I am super curious
10:20 --> 10:23 about NFL. So I'm a huge Vikings fan. It is Vikings
10:23 --> 10:26 season. We're going to be kicking off the season here. In early September.
10:26 --> 10:31 Tell me a little bit more about that collaboration. So we've been working
10:32 --> 10:36 with a few different partners around trying to get some local sports in
10:36 --> 10:40 for our stores. And we've brought a little
10:40 --> 10:42 bit of it in. It's a little bit of still a test in the US
10:43 --> 10:46 stores for us. We've had some fantastic results so far, I must say.
10:47 --> 10:51 We had some great success with the New York Knicks from a basketball
10:52 --> 10:55 perspective. Down in Manhattan when we opened the store around May time. And we've just
10:56 --> 10:59 seen some incredible reactions to customers coming in and seeing their favorite teams in store.
11:00 --> 11:04 And again, it's the, it's the, the, the license part of it, but then the,
11:04 --> 11:07 the, the quality of it. And then you see the price tag and,
11:07 --> 11:10 and, you know, it is just incredibly competitive.
11:10 --> 11:13 So I think, you know, the customers are going to love the fashionability of it,
11:14 --> 11:17 but also that price is, is just going to wow them. Yeah, for great value,
11:17 --> 11:21 for sure. Well, a lot of sports apparel is not inexpensive, so being
11:21 --> 11:25 able to have a more value-driven price point is very attractive.
11:25 --> 11:28 Yeah. Have more pieces and mix and match and get that all set to go.
11:29 --> 11:33 So when you're looking at a market and deciding where you're entering for Primark,
11:33 --> 11:37 what's important to you? So for us, you know, we are— and
11:37 --> 11:40 maybe for anyone who doesn't know us, we are a bricks-and-mortar business.
11:40 --> 11:43 So you can't buy Primark online.
11:44 --> 11:48 You need to be in the store. So for us, that's who we
11:48 --> 11:53 are, who we've been for 60 years. It's been part of everything that's driven
11:53 --> 11:57 us. It's why we're obsessed about in-store experience, how our stores
11:57 --> 11:59 look and feel, and the product that goes in them.
12:01 --> 12:04 But that means that we need to go places where
12:05 --> 12:06 there is that foot traffic already.
12:08 --> 12:11 When we're looking at malls or downtown
12:11 --> 12:15 areas, we're looking for great places that have great
12:16 --> 12:21 retail, that are investing heavily, that are really thinking about experiences
12:21 --> 12:24 and events and more than just shopping. Because I think the
12:25 --> 12:28 consumer today wants more than that. You know, there's a lot available for people
12:28 --> 12:32 online, so they want more of an experience that they can share
12:32 --> 12:35 with others as well. So, you know, we look for
12:35 --> 12:39 a lot. And as I said earlier, we are picky, you know, so we want
12:39 --> 12:43 places that feel great, that we get that level of engagement as
12:43 --> 12:46 a team. That we
12:47 --> 12:48 feel comfortable and confident ourselves in.
12:50 --> 12:53 And then we go ahead and then start getting a little bit deeper in terms
12:53 --> 12:56 of, okay, what space would we want here? What do we think this might look
12:56 --> 13:00 like? And that's when really the negotiations,
13:01 --> 13:05 but also conversations start with partners like yourselves and
13:05 --> 13:09 others in the community as well, of how do we see a Primark store here
13:10 --> 13:13 for now, but also for the future? I mean, we sign long leases.
13:13 --> 13:17 We're not in for it to open for a couple of years and move
13:17 --> 13:20 on. We want to build a business here. We want to be good neighbours here.
13:20 --> 13:23 We want to be great tenants here. And we want to be part of everything
13:23 --> 13:26 that goes on in that environment. So we
13:27 --> 13:29 invest a lot. Our store managers are given a lot of autonomy to say,
13:30 --> 13:32 go be part of the environment that you're trading in.
13:33 --> 13:37 Our founder, who's no longer with us, always said,
13:38 --> 13:42 It's important to be good neighbours wherever you are. And that's something— I'm 25 years
13:42 --> 13:45 in Primark, and I've grown up with that belief of it's
13:45 --> 13:48 not just a store, you've got a responsibility to be a great neighbour. And all
13:48 --> 13:52 of that goes into the decision-making of where we go.
13:52 --> 13:55 Hence why it sometimes takes a little bit longer to get places.
13:55 --> 13:59 But when we do arrive, you know, we're very certain about
13:59 --> 14:03 where we're about to open. Well, we've been very impressed with the team and
14:03 --> 14:07 getting everything ready for the opening. And it's music to our ears when
14:07 --> 14:10 we hear about you talking about the brand and the components that important to you,
14:10 --> 14:14 the experiential, the community, and really creating
14:14 --> 14:17 a brand that connects with our guests that are here. And I think it's going
14:18 --> 14:22 to be a perfect partnership because we host hundreds of events, we're very philanthropic,
14:22 --> 14:24 and we have so much we're going to be able to do together as partners.
14:24 --> 14:28 So, um, curious about, you know, we talked— when you look
14:29 --> 14:32 at entertainment, retail, hospitality, we have the connected hotels,
14:32 --> 14:35 being able to create that experiential components here,
14:36 --> 14:40 what excites you about those elements and those potential partnerships?
14:41 --> 14:45 Yeah, I think, you know, the level of tourism that
14:45 --> 14:49 you have here already is kind of unrivalled. I mean,
14:49 --> 14:53 you know, it's well over 32 million people who
14:53 --> 14:56 visit this mall. I call it a mall. I mean, it's a city.
14:56 --> 15:00 It's a city. You know, so the ability to
15:00 --> 15:04 work with others and continue to build the Primark brand is an
15:05 --> 15:08 exciting one for us. But being in the centre of something that is already
15:08 --> 15:11 very successful is also great for us.
15:12 --> 15:16 We want that. We want to continue to build our brand. We want to work
15:16 --> 15:20 with credible partners who are successful as well. We're 10
15:20 --> 15:23 years in the US, but most of our stores have only opened in the last
15:23 --> 15:27 2 years, so we're still relatively new. We've got a lot to learn
15:27 --> 15:29 here. This is our first store in Minnesota.
15:30 --> 15:33 We're about to meet our consumer for the first time. We're about to meet a
15:34 --> 15:37 lot of tourists for the first time. So we also want to learn lessons
15:37 --> 15:41 from you all and sort of listen and take part
15:42 --> 15:45 and really think about what do we evolve and what do
15:45 --> 15:49 we change as we go. We're certainly not sat here saying that we've got
15:49 --> 15:52 all the answers of how do we run a successful store. We'll actually start learning
15:53 --> 15:57 pretty much from tomorrow once we cut that ribbon. Our store managers even have quite
15:57 --> 16:00 a bit of control over what stock and what product they bring in.
16:01 --> 16:04 About 60% of our options they pull instead of it being pushed to them.
16:05 --> 16:08 So even James, our store manager, and his team will start to learn about
16:09 --> 16:12 that customer and what do they love? How do we go bigger
16:12 --> 16:14 on that? How do we make sure that if there is an event going on
16:15 --> 16:19 in the mall, we cater to that in whatever way we can to
16:19 --> 16:22 feel part of it for someone who's in the mall shopping and then is in
16:23 --> 16:26 Primark? Don't worry, we'll be knocking on your door, calling your phone. We have lots
16:27 --> 16:30 of different opportunities. So you talked about ribbon cutting. You guys are doing so much
16:31 --> 16:34 more than just cutting the ribbon tomorrow. So let's talk a little bit about tomorrow,
16:34 --> 16:37 what guests can, what we're going to be experiencing. So obviously, once we broadcast this,
16:38 --> 16:42 it'll be after the grand opening. But what do you have planned? For beyond
16:42 --> 16:45 cutting the ribbon? Yeah, so we really focus on
16:46 --> 16:49 our team internally, as well as everyone we're about to meet in the mall tomorrow.
16:49 --> 16:52 So we have a lot going on tomorrow morning with the team.
16:53 --> 16:57 And we have some speeches and some celebrations that we'll do
16:57 --> 17:00 internally. We'll invite some of the crowd outside into
17:00 --> 17:04 some of that. But actually, for anyone who's
17:05 --> 17:08 going to be around for our opening, we do a lot of giveaways. We do
17:08 --> 17:11 a lot of— we've got a DJ in store. We do a lot of
17:11 --> 17:15 fun and games. And we've taken out some space at the Rotunda, which we're very
17:15 --> 17:19 excited for tomorrow as well. As well as we've had some influencers in store,
17:19 --> 17:22 so we're going to be doing a lot of user-generated content over the next couple
17:22 --> 17:26 of days. And once you get in store, I mean, you know,
17:26 --> 17:29 that's when really you'll get a chance to experience everything that Primark has
17:29 --> 17:33 to offer. So we've got, you know, a few hundred of our own team in
17:33 --> 17:36 ready to celebrate tomorrow's opening, and we're hoping
17:36 --> 17:40 to get a lot of people out in the mall tomorrow across
17:40 --> 17:43 and just come and experience Primark for the first time. Well, our team is super
17:43 --> 17:46 excited, so we will all be over there shopping and checking it out. What is
17:46 --> 17:50 it like behind the scenes when you're 24 hours away from opening a
17:50 --> 17:53 big store, leader of this organisation? How does
17:54 --> 17:57 that feel? Excitement? Nervous? Just what's happening behind the
17:58 --> 18:02 scenes that we don't see? Yeah, I mean, we will have opened 15
18:02 --> 18:06 stores this year, which is the biggest year we've had in Primark
18:06 --> 18:09 US. My team have worked incredibly hard.
18:10 --> 18:13 I mean, incredibly hard this year. I could not be prouder of what we've
18:14 --> 18:16 achieved, the amount of new stores we've gone into, the amount of new states.
18:16 --> 18:20 So it's a lot. And people
18:20 --> 18:24 have been away from home for weeks and travelling around. And the
18:24 --> 18:28 team here, we've got James and the team who are our Mall of America team,
18:28 --> 18:31 but they're supported by probably 3 or 4 store managers from
18:32 --> 18:35 the rest of the Midwest. I've got people from New York and Florida up
18:36 --> 18:39 here to support. So there's a level of excitement.
18:39 --> 18:43 There's always that bit of anxiety. We are perfectionists. We do
18:43 --> 18:47 love love to get into the detail. Retail is detail, and we believe that.
18:47 --> 18:50 So we've rehearsed everything, we've gone over everything, we've thought
18:51 --> 18:55 of everything. But actually today, we'll do a sort
18:55 --> 18:57 of a final walk around of the space this afternoon.
18:59 --> 19:02 We can't wait for that. And I can say it because this goes out after,
19:02 --> 19:05 we're going to send the team to see the Minnesota Twins
19:05 --> 19:09 tonight. So we're going to send them to the game tonight and have some fun.
19:10 --> 19:13 And really just enjoy themselves and really just try and relax a little bit
19:13 --> 19:17 before tomorrow. So it's a good mix of excitement, but of
19:17 --> 19:21 course, nerves, because we have high expectations of ourselves and of
19:22 --> 19:25 what we do. We hold ourselves to a high standard. So there's always that in
19:26 --> 19:29 the background. That's great. So, Kerry, as you're looking at the store, anything unique
19:30 --> 19:33 with regards to the size, the footprint, anything unique that the store is
19:33 --> 19:36 offering that you're excited about that is not happening in other markets?
19:38 --> 19:41 That's a great question. I think what I noticed when I was in the store
19:41 --> 19:44 was just the design, the overall design. Love,
19:45 --> 19:49 love just all of the blue pop and the color with everything. But I love
19:49 --> 19:52 how it's very thoughtful when you walk through, how it's
19:53 --> 19:57 all set up in the merchandise. And I noticed you had the self-checkout too.
19:57 --> 20:00 I don't think you have that in all the stores, do you? No, not all.
20:00 --> 20:04 We've— it's still quite a new introduction
20:04 --> 20:08 for us, working exceptionally well in the US. And a lot of our customers are
20:08 --> 20:10 choosing to use that.
20:11 --> 20:15 So, yeah, you know, and even some of the store design, we've sort of
20:16 --> 20:19 made unique for this location as well. We've got a great space
20:20 --> 20:23 to work with. It is. It's a great space. And then on the lower level,
20:24 --> 20:27 that's where a lot of the kids is, and then the men's. And that's where
20:27 --> 20:31 I saw some of the Vikings apparel as well. So,
20:31 --> 20:34 yeah, so just the collaboration with the local teams and stuff like
20:35 --> 20:38 that obviously is unique to each market. As well. But no, I thought it was
20:39 --> 20:42 overall a great walkthrough discovery experience.
20:43 --> 20:46 And I did notice a lot of people were using the self-checkout too. So that'll
20:47 --> 20:50 be an interesting new add. So I'm curious, what did you load your bucket up
20:50 --> 20:53 with when you were shopping? Well, I bought, they had
20:53 --> 20:57 some fun knit hats. So I got some definite winter hats already.
20:57 --> 21:01 Winter, fall hats. We never stop shopping for winter here. I know.
21:02 --> 21:06 The winter hats are a must-have here for sure. So that
21:06 --> 21:10 and then, And that great super puff jacket. Yeah, the winter jackets
21:10 --> 21:14 were really fun too. And then of course, all the work apparel. And then I
21:14 --> 21:18 noticed you had some great handbags too. Yeah. Yeah, so that was really fun.
21:18 --> 21:23 But I want to ask you, what if there's like one quintessential Primark
21:23 --> 21:26 item? Because I had something in mind, but maybe you can share with me.
21:26 --> 21:29 What do you think that one item is? For me, myself as a customer,
21:29 --> 21:32 or for— Or what do you think Primark's like most quintessential item is?
21:32 --> 21:36 So we've actually got a fashion range called
21:36 --> 21:41 Contemporary. At the minute, which is, is sort of our up-to-date
21:41 --> 21:44 trend, but like incredible iconic value in
21:44 --> 21:48 there. So we've got some incredible fashion pieces now in the trend area,
21:48 --> 21:52 and we've got a partnership with Paula Eche, who, uh, is a
21:52 --> 21:55 big influencer in, in Spain. Um, so our trend area actually
21:56 --> 21:58 is, is all Paula at the minute, which I think is going to go down
21:58 --> 22:02 a treat. Oh, that's fun. Um, I think it just shows the absolute best
22:02 --> 22:06 of incredible up-to-date Fashion, great quality, but an
22:06 --> 22:09 unbelievable stopping-in-your-tracks price.
22:10 --> 22:12 And I think that's what— Absolutely. That's going to be some of their biggest success,
22:12 --> 22:16 I think, tomorrow. So much fun. I love the fact that you are
22:16 --> 22:20 staying true to the brick and mortar. And I'm curious of your thoughts just on
22:20 --> 22:24 the broader industry and where things are heading. And we're seeing
22:25 --> 22:28 a very strong attachment to brick and
22:29 --> 22:32 mortar, especially with the younger generation. I'm just curious from both
22:32 --> 22:36 of you, kind of the role of the store footprint today and how
22:36 --> 22:40 that's changed over even just the last 5 years.
22:40 --> 22:43 And as we look forward, what that important element is with
22:43 --> 22:47 shopping and how we bring that joy to our guests every single day.
22:47 --> 22:50 So I'm just kind of curious of your perspective of that. So what we're seeing
22:50 --> 22:54 are flagships. Stores are actually growing
22:54 --> 22:57 in size. They're offering more experiences within the store.
22:58 --> 23:01 You know, experiences, I feel like, used to be really attached to more entertainment
23:02 --> 23:05 and attractions. And retail has really embraced the
23:06 --> 23:09 experience within the store now. And from every store, it's different
23:09 --> 23:13 from what they're going after. But, and as to your point with the younger generation,
23:13 --> 23:17 they're expecting that experience. I know our guests come out here and
23:17 --> 23:20 they absolutely expect an experience in the store. So a lot of our
23:21 --> 23:24 stores are bringing in unique experiences that not, that maybe the rest of
23:25 --> 23:29 the fleet doesn't offer. And so we love when stores kind
23:29 --> 23:32 of think outside of the box box. Um, we even have a few stores at
23:32 --> 23:35 Mall of America that use us as an incubator and try new things and trends.
23:36 --> 23:39 Um, so that's, that's what we are seeing. So whatever,
23:39 --> 23:43 love to hear more about what you guys are trying to do. Quite similar,
23:43 --> 23:46 I think. You know, the, the mall is a place where people
23:47 --> 23:50 want to come, I think. You know, and I know there's constantly sort of this,
23:50 --> 23:53 this, this humdrum in the background of, you know, malls are dying. I mean,
23:53 --> 23:57 I think probably bad malls are, I'm sure, but But in
23:57 --> 24:01 the main, good malls where there's investment and great
24:01 --> 24:05 retailers there are absolutely thriving. And I can tell you, we're doing business in
24:06 --> 24:09 a lot of them. Our customer wants convenience.
24:09 --> 24:13 And I think, yes, there is a digital and online component to convenience.
24:13 --> 24:16 But actually, for us, convenience is walking into
24:16 --> 24:20 our store and being in the middle of everything, being able to
24:21 --> 24:23 touch the product, being able to try it on immediately, being able to fall in
24:23 --> 24:27 love with something, and take it away with you there and then, not have to
24:27 --> 24:31 sit and wait for it, not have it come to home and you need to
24:31 --> 24:35 then try it on and it doesn't fit. We have
24:35 --> 24:39 that sort of emotional link with someone when they're in the store.
24:39 --> 24:43 Obviously, the price and everything we're able to offer as well is, of course,
24:43 --> 24:47 linked to our model. I think our customer wants to
24:47 --> 24:50 be digitally enabled. And I think that's, for us, for the future,
24:50 --> 24:54 to really figure out what does that mean a Primark customer, then how
24:54 --> 24:58 do we make sure that we are thinking about that in-store
24:58 --> 25:01 experience and making sure that we are digitally enabled
25:02 --> 25:06 where we need to be? So is there something around being
25:06 --> 25:09 able to do more around stock checking and
25:10 --> 25:13 size availability? What does that look like for Primark in the future?
25:14 --> 25:17 All of that is an exciting prospect for us to get into, but all
25:18 --> 25:22 of it is incremental to that customer journey in store. Where we've
25:22 --> 25:26 had the best success so far is actually talking to customers and removing
25:28 --> 25:31 what you might think are small annoyances, but actually
25:31 --> 25:35 removing things from people's paths. So something for us
25:35 --> 25:39 is lines at checkouts. We're a busy store, so we have big lines at our
25:39 --> 25:43 checkouts. So things like the self-checkout has actually been a major
25:43 --> 25:47 part of us removing the lines from the checkouts and giving people the
25:47 --> 25:51 option to do self-checkout, which has absolutely drastically
25:51 --> 25:55 changed our entire checkout line. Just something like
25:56 --> 25:59 that, ease of shopping, being able to come in and have a
25:59 --> 26:03 much more straightforward experience is
26:03 --> 26:06 what brings people back in. So, you know, all of
26:06 --> 26:10 those things, and even tomorrow when we open, I'm sure you'll see me tomorrow chatting
26:11 --> 26:13 to a lot of customers about how do you find the space, what did you
26:13 --> 26:17 buy today, what did you think? Looking for just nuggets of maybe
26:17 --> 26:21 small things, but make a dramatic impact on that person's want
26:22 --> 26:24 to come back into the store or not. Well, I applaud you for being so
26:25 --> 26:28 in tune with the customer and making sure, you know, that journey continues to change
26:28 --> 26:31 and evolve and being able to listen, do the research,
26:31 --> 26:35 analyse it, and continue to change the guest experience, because I think that's really important.
26:35 --> 26:38 So you mentioned where. Carrie, share with our guests, where will they find
26:39 --> 26:42 Primark? Primark is on East Level 1.
26:43 --> 26:46 So if you go down from our East Rotunda, towards the Southeast
26:47 --> 26:50 Court. That's exactly where you guys are. And there's also a
26:50 --> 26:54 separate entrance from the exterior as well. So you, you can park in the ramp,
26:54 --> 26:57 in the East Ramp, and then walk right into the store as well.
26:57 --> 27:01 Super convenient. So we're going to do a little quick Primark speed
27:02 --> 27:05 round with you so you can prepare guests for their first visit to the store.
27:06 --> 27:09 Okay, so what is the best Primark find under $20? Uh,
27:10 --> 27:14 it is our denim jeans, uh, $12 starting
27:14 --> 27:17 on ladieswear, and I believe $18 on men's. That's crazy.
27:17 --> 27:19 Department people shouldn't skip?
27:22 --> 27:25 I think kids license, unskippable. Okay.
27:25 --> 27:28 Something people don't expect Primark to carry?
27:29 --> 27:31 I think suitcases at an unbelievable price.
27:32 --> 27:37 Best thing to buy for kids is probably,
27:37 --> 27:41 uh, activewear on kids, which is quite new,
27:42 --> 27:45 and we have some local sports coming in very soon on activewear.
27:45 --> 27:48 It's not in yet. Okay. But it's another reason to come back in the future.
27:48 --> 27:52 Best impulse purchase? Is our
27:52 --> 27:55 $10 velvet plush legging. Oh my
27:55 --> 27:59 God, I'm so excited to go shopping. One word to describe
27:59 --> 28:02 opening Primark at Mall of America? Iconic.
28:03 --> 28:07 I love it. Okay, so one final question. What do you hope people
28:07 --> 28:12 feel when they experience your store for the first time? I hope they
28:13 --> 28:16 find something that they love, but then
28:16 --> 28:20 love how they look in it, that they have that feeling of,
28:20 --> 28:24 I look incredible in this. Like, that is, that is what I want for
28:24 --> 28:28 people shopping with us. Love that so much. Kevin, thank you. And congratulations
28:28 --> 28:32 to you and your team. We are beyond thrilled to
28:32 --> 28:36 have Primark at Mall of America, and we are excited for all of you to
28:36 --> 28:39 come check out this new store. As Carrie noted, it's on the east side,
28:39 --> 28:42 level 1, right on the corner. Super easy for you to get in from the
28:42 --> 28:46 mall or from the exterior. We cannot wait for you to try out this new
28:46 --> 28:48 store at Mall of America. It is here to stay and it's here for your
28:48 --> 28:52 back-to-school shopping, for holiday shopping and everything and
28:52 --> 28:55 more. So come check it out and welcome to
28:56 --> 28:59 the new experience of this Ireland retailer right here in
28:59 --> 29:03 Minnesota. So congratulations to you and your team. We'll see you soon.
29:03 --> 29:06 And thank you for tuning into this episode of So Much More. We'll see you
29:06 --> 29:09 soon. Thanks for listening to so much more A Mall
29:10 --> 29:14 of America Podcast. Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts. This show
29:14 --> 29:16 is presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.