Insights Hub

Primark is set to expand its Westfield Stratford store, doubling the number of floors and taking total floorspace from 45,100sq. ft. to 81,000sq. ft. The expansion is expected to complete at the beginning of 2024 and “offer even more choice across [Primark’s] extensive fashion, beauty, lifestyle and home ranges”.

Restaurant brand Bill’s has confirmed the closure of 12 sites amid challenges in the market. The 12 underperforming sites have been sublet or surrendered, having stayed closed in 2021. The group now has 49 UK sites, compared to around 80 before the pandemic. However, Bill’s has said that trading was strong after the end of restrictions in mid-2021, remaining stable in 2022 despite difficult conditions in the market.

American fried chicken brand Popeyes has announced its first UK drive-through location, set to open in Rotherham. It plans to open a total of 20 additional UK sites this year, including restaurants in Cambridge, Plymouth, Cardiff and Reading, and a dark kitchen in Norbury. The chain arrived in the UK at the end of 2021 and has previously said that it aims to open 350 UK sites within 10 years.