With the news of Dave + Buster’s taking over Sears inside the Newport Centre Mall, it was unclear whether Primark was still expected to open. There was talk of Primark, an Irish clothing retailer, opening in the Jersey City mall a few months ago, but there have been no updates since then. Is it still opening? Read on to find out what The Hoboken Girl has exclusively learned.
Primark’s Future in Jersey City
In July 2023, Jersey Digs reported that Primark was opening its next New Jersey location in Jersey City inside the Newport Centre Mall after coming across a social media post. At the time, Primark did not specify where it would be set up. Later that summer, a Reddit user shared the news that Primark was taking over the upper level of Sears.
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According to a YouTube video, which showed the floor plan of Sears, Primark will occupy 87,353 square feet of space on the second floor. At the moment, the upper level is closed to the public, and the windows are completely covered so it is unclear what is going on behind the closed doors.
^ Primark to occupy Sears’ upper-level space
However, The Hoboken Girl can confirm that Primark still plans on opening at the mall. The fashion, home, and beauty brand confirmed via an email sent by a customer service representative. The message read: “We are excited to open our new store in Newport Mall soon. Unfortunately, there is no date set for the opening yet.”
The email continued: “We announce the opening date locally well in advance and also give an update on our store information page where all details will be shared in due course. Thank you very much for taking the time to write to us and for your interest in Primark. See you soon in New Jersey!”
So far, the Jersey City location has not been added to the list of Primark stores open in the United States.
Growing in the Tri-State
Primark was founded in June 1969 and its headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland. There are over 400 stores in various countries with 25 being solely in the US. Jersey City will become Primark’s fourth location in New Jersey. The other three locations are inside the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, inside the Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, and inside the Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, which was the most recent one that opened on July 6th, 2023.
^ The last Sears in NJ is closing in Newport Centre Mall in March
The President of Primark US, Kevin Tulip, said in a press release: “We’re spreading even more ‘Primania’ in the Tri-State area with today’s opening at The Mills at Jersey Gardens, and look forward to welcoming excited shoppers with open arms. Shoppers will be excited to see that Primark is not an off-price retailer but rather a value retailer that offers the best price first – we offer shoppers the treasure without the hunt.”
“As we continue our successful growth in the US market, with more to come this summer and fall, we’re thrilled to see Primark’s unique formula of quality essentials at value prices is catching on.”
Dave + Buster’s Taking Over Sears
Currently, Sears is still occupying 106,000 square feet on the lower level until its closing date. A Sears sales associate told HG that the department store is expected to close on March 5th, 2024. Until then, customers can shop clearance items with everything being 40 to 75 percent off. There is still some clothing, jewelry, shoes, home furniture, home appliances, fitness equipment, and fixtures, among other items left in the sparse space.
The Jersey City Sears remains the last Sears in New Jersey, leaving the total number of Sears in the US to be a dozen after filing for bankruptcy in 2018. Sears was part of the Newport Centre Mall for 40 years and was one of the major department stores along with Macy’s, JCPenney, and Kohl’s.
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According to the floor plan, three tenants can occupy the bottom level. It’s already been announced in early January that Dave + Buster’s is taking over Sears, but now it is clear that it will occupy the lower level. It is unknown at this time when the sports bar and restaurant are expected to open and take over with a bunch of arcade games and dining space.
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