By Rachel Williams

Copyright dailyrecord

Primark has joined the list of retailers making closures across the UK. It will mark the first time the fast-fashion firm has closed a store in over 10 years. The popular high street giant is reported to be closing down its site based in the Orchard Shopping Centre in Dartford next year, although an official date has not yet been confirmed. Currently celebrating 50 years on the British high street where it has over 190 stores, Primark has become a popular go-to for its vast range of fashion and homeware collections. Bosses have confirmed that, while the branch will remain open just now, the building is required to undergo “significant” repair work, which is why it will be closing down. The move could see the site’s 53 employee’s at risk, as Primark confirmed they are due to enter a period of consultation over the closure, reports the Sun . Primark director of sales for UK South and South East Philippa Nibbs told The Sun: “Following careful consideration, we’re proposing to close our Dartford store in the new year. “This proposal has been informed by the significant and extensive repair work the building requires. “Our priority is our colleagues impacted by this news, and we will be supporting them as they now enter a period of consultation. “We know this will be disappointing news for our customers and the wider Dartford community too, and we are very grateful for their support over the years.” Primark’s boss went on to confirm that further communications regarding the store would be updated in “due course”, while advising that the decision to close it was “driven by circumstances unique to this store and our commitment to the high street and UK retail remains.” Primark first originated in Dublin, Ireland, in 1969, where it opened its first ever store on 47 Mary Street by Arthur Ryan and his business partner Micaela Mitchell on behalf of the Weston Family who found Allies Bakery Limited. The multichannel retailer quickly grew in popularity and opened its first store in the UK in Derby, 1974, before coming over to Scotland with the opening of its Hamilton branch in 1975, marking the smallest Primark store to this day. News of the high street staple’s first closure in over a decade comes just after the company celebrated its 50th anniversary on the UK high street, with Scots shops seeing a tongue-in-cheek rebrand earlier this year . Stores up and down the country boasted ‘Preemark’ takeovers in their window displays as a humorous nod to the age-old debate on how to pronounce the brand’s name, with Scots shoppers said to prefer ‘Pr-EE-mark’ to the official ‘Pr-AYE-mark’. While it was initially famed for its affordable clothing , Primark has fast become popular for its home interior collections, leading to its first ever standalone homeware store being opened at the Trafford Palazzo in Manchester in August. In 2019, the company officially opened its biggest ever UK store in Birmingham UK, with the 16,000 sq.ft store spanning an impressive five floors, offering features such as a Disney-themed cafe, a beauty studio, a barbershop, and a Greggs bakery.