International clothing retailer Primark is continuing its US expansion with the opening of a distribution centre in North Jacksonville, Florida.
The facility spans 550,000ft² and will support the retailer's expansion in southern states such as Florida and Texas.
The strategic move is in response to the increasing consumer demand for Primark's products in the US market.
The Jacksonville distribution centre is a collaboration between Primark, DHL and JZI, and is generating jobs for the local community.
The new store will add 128,000ft² of retail space to Primark's portfolio and will be serviced by the Jacksonville distribution centre and the existing facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The retailer will import cargo through the Jacksonville Port Authority, located within a one-day truck drive of 100 million US consumers.
Primark US president Kevin Tulip stated: "We've seen growing demand for Primark stores across the US, particularly in our southern locations where we've even expanded our store footprint in our Sawgrass Mills store to meet customer demand.
“The opening of this distribution centre in Jacksonville comes at the perfect time for the brand and our customers as we set our sights on continued growth across the US, including in Florida and Texas, as well as our first store in Tennessee which we announced today. We're thrilled to continue to bring Primania to new customers with our expansion."
The new distribution centre is Primark's second in the US.
Primark also signed lease agreements for four new stores in Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas.
Primark currently operates 24 stores across nine US states and plans to increase this to 60 stores by 2026.