Business

Zara reopens Belfast store after Primark fire

Zara reopened in Belfast city centre yesterday after being closed due to the Primark fire. Picture by Mark Marlow
Zara reopened in Belfast city centre yesterday after being closed due to the Primark fire. Picture by Mark Marlow Zara reopened in Belfast city centre yesterday after being closed due to the Primark fire. Picture by Mark Marlow

FASHION retailer Zara has reopened its Belfast city centre store, just over seven months on from the devastating Primark fire.

The multi-national chain was forced to close its sole outlet in the north following the Bank Buildings blaze last August, but resumed trading yesterday in what has been hailed as "welcome step forward" for the city.

The return of the Spanish retailer to Donegall Place comes just over a week after another portion of the safety cordon around the fire site was reduced.

Zara was one of 14 stores forced to close their doors in the wake of the Primark fire, with the majority now back in business.

It has been reported that Tesco Metro and burger restaurant City Picnic could both reopen within weeks, while further reductions to the cordon to allow buses to pass through the city centre are expected in June.

Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce president, Rajesh Rana said the return of Zara will help attract more people back to the city centre.

"The big stores in Belfast, like House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer, they are some of the best performing stores in the UK for those groups," he told the BBC.

"Belfast still has a very strong retail offering, I think some people forget that."

Retail NI chief executive, Glyn Roberts welcomed the return of another retailer to Belfast city centre following the August 28 inferno.

“This is another welcome step forward for Belfast city centre," he said.

“Zara contributes a significant amount of footfall and is an important part of part of the City Centre’s retail offering. While good progress is being made, we still have some way to go to fully rejuvenate that part of the city centre."

Primark will open a second store in Belfast city centre at Fountain House on Donegall Place on April 16.

The popular clothing retailer began trading again in December at Commonwealth House on Castle Street. The new shop, a £1 million extension of the original Bank Buildings store, was not damaged in the fire.