Primark expands through Czechia: Ostrava store to open in September

Ostrava residents will soon have a new destination for low-cost fashion, with Irish retailer Primark set to open its first store in the city next month.

The new store will open at Avion Shopping Park Ostrava at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The two-story location will have around 3,100 square meters of retail space and represents an investment of more than CZK 220 million.

The opening will also bring a new Primark experience to Czech customers, with the Ostrava location becoming the brand’s first store in the country to offer self-service checkout stations.

The Ostrava location will sell the same broad range available at Primark’s other Czech stores, including women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, cosmetics, accessories and home goods.

The retailer initially indicated that the store would employ around 80 people, but the latest plans call for nearly 100 jobs to be created. The opening therefore represents a significant new retail employer for the city.

A DJ and other entertainment will be on hand for the opening day, as Primark expects strong interest from shoppers.

The company has seen large crowds accompany the opening of new Czech locations in the past. Long lines formed outside its first Czech store on Prague’s Wenceslas Square in 2021, while the opening of its Brno location also attracted substantial attention.

For shoppers, the self-service checkouts could help the new store handle the expected crowds. The Ostrava location will be the first Primark in Czechia to offer customers the option of completing their purchases without a cashier.

The new location could also draw shoppers from across the border. Avion Shopping Park is located around 20 kilometers from Poland, making the Ostrava store significantly more convenient for customers in southern Poland than Primark’s existing Czech locations.

The nearest alternatives for many Moravian shoppers have previously included Primark at Olympia Brno or the store in Katowice, Poland, which is about 100 kilometers from the Czech border.

“We believe that thanks to its excellent location, the new store will appeal not only to customers from across the Czech Republic, but also to many visitors from Poland,” said Maciej Podwojski, Primark’s director for Central and Eastern Europe.

The Ostrava store will become Primark’s fourth location in Czechia. The retailer currently operates stores at Wenceslas Square and Metropole Zličín in Prague and at Olympia Brno.

Primark entered the Czech market in 2021 and is continuing its expansion. Another Prague store is planned for Westfield Černý Most, with an opening currently expected between September 2027 and September 2028.

For Ostrava shoppers, however, the wait is almost over: the new Primark will open its doors at Avion Shopping Park at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 8.