RETAIL giant Primark has put back plans to open up on the Scottish capital's main shopping thoroughfare before Christmas.
The discount fashion favourite has gone back to the drawing board over plans to take over a former Marks and Spencer store on Edinburgh's Princes Street – dragging the long saga over its search for a site in the capital into another year.
But the ADVERTISEMENTfirm has revealed it is now planning to open up a site 30 per cent bigger than expected – which will ensure it is one of the biggest in the UK.
Edinburgh's city centre is, though, expected to be boosted by the opening of the first Urban Outfitters store in the capital within the next few weeks.
It also emerged yesterday that two other new retailers – design shoe store Daniel Footwear and exclusive jewellery store Pandora – are also set to open in the city.
Edinburgh has been one of the few major cities in Britain without a Primark store, one of Britain's most successful retail operators of recent years, with Glasgow boasting four.
Plans by the firm to open on Princes Street emerged in 2006 but it was thwarted by rival Top Shop after parent company Arcadia snapped up the former M&S ladieswear store at 91 Princes Street, only to later abandon plans to overhaul it.
Primark confirmed plans to set up on the site last December, with a view to opening well before this Christmas, but recently told the council that it would need to submit a new planning application after expanding its refurbishment plans for the building.
A spokesman for Primark said yesterday: "We can confirm that the opening of the new store on Princes Street has definitely been put back until 2010. The original plan had been to open up on Princes Street this month, but the store will be a lot bigger than originally envisaged, at some 80,000 sq ft, compared to 60,000 sq ft, making it comparable to our major stores in Bristol and Liverpool, which are some of the biggest in Britain."
Tourism and retail leaders in the city have welcomed news that Daniel Footwear and Pandora will both be opening on Multrees Walk, the boutique shopping thoroughfare next to the Harvey Nichols store.
Kenneth Wardrop, head of the Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance, said: "Edinburgh is a world-class city, so it's fitting that more stores are choosing to open here. Daniel Footwear and Pandora will add yet more quality and choice to the retail offer."
