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World's biggest Primark opens in Birmingham - PICTURES and VIDEO

Thousands of shoppers descended on Birmingham city centre as ‘Primania’ took over the city.

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Inside the new Primark

Eager bargain-hunters queued on Birmingham High Street for the grand opening of the world’s biggest Primark after months of anticipation.

As they waited outside the store, with many queuing hours before the 10am opening time yesterday, they were greeted by an array of dancers who kept them entertained.

Instagram star Alice Liveing, who has a Primark collection, was joined by Loose Women’s Stacey Solomon and Love Island’s Kem Cetinay as they cut the blue ribbon and officially opened the store.

Instagram star Alice Liveing, who has a Primark collection, joined Loose Women's Stacey Solomon and Love Island's Kem Cetinay at the opening of the store. Picture: Primark/Instagram

The store – thought to have cost £70 million – has five floors and spans 160,000 square feet.

But it quickly filled up as the first shoppers rushed through the doors.

They were cheered on by staff holding blue Primark balloons and were entertained by a DJ who was blasting tunes out throughout the morning.

More than 1,000 employees have been taken on at the store, which has moved from its old shop on nearby New Street.

WATCH: Highlights from the opening

Amiee Lockley, aged 33, from Parkfields in Wolverhampton, travelled to the second city from the Black Country to fit in some well-timed holiday shopping.

She said: “It’s a big thing. I’m going on holiday to Lanzarote in May so I held on for this to open before I bought any holiday clothes.

“It’s cheap, and especially for children more than anything, who grow out of clothes quickly, it’s so good.

“It’s good for the economy and the public to be opening more shops rather than closing them. I’ll be travelling here a lot to come to the store.”

The store offers something different to the expected fashion, beauty and homeware lines, as it also offers a Disney Cafe, a Mezz restaurant, a beauty studio and a hairdressers.

There is also a section dedicated to selling Disney merchandise, as well as Hogwarts Wizarding World, a section ideal for Harry Potter fans.

Customers can also personalise their clothing by visiting the Custom Lab.

GALLERY: Shoppers flood into new store

Shoppers fill the new store
Primark has opened his new store in Birmingham
People gathered two hours before the store was due to open
Aimee Lockley from Parkfields, Wolverhampton, at Primark
Vicky Fisher from Birmingham was among those attending the opening
Sophie Clewes and Hannah Sollom from Codsall among the manikins
Ellie Wakelin from Leicester
Wolverhampton-based breakdancer AJ helps open the store
It was a spectacular opening for Primark

Kyle Astbury, aged 17 from Brownhills, Walsall, said: “It’s massive. I didn’t expect the DJ when we walked in, that was cool. This will bring me into Birmingham more often, there’s a lot of choice here, and it caters for all seasons.

“This can only be a good thing for the high street in Birmingham.”

Kelly Grice, aged 37, from West Bromwich, said: “I’ve not seen anything this big before, and it’s funny being the old Pavillion, where I used to hang out 20 years ago. The good prices and that it’s nice and clean and fresh will bring me back here, and there’s so much to do.”

Elizabeth Hill, aged 32, from Kingshurst in Birmingham, was enjoying the Disney Cafe with her four-year-old son Iziah on the store’s first day in business.

She said: “The cafe is what brought me here, it’s lovely for the kids.

“We’ll use it a lot and make sure we look around the whole place, it’s huge. It has all we need and it’s really fantastic.”

Customers will also find water fountains dotted around the store, free WiFi, and seating areas to charge their phones.

Employees also have their own Recharge Cafe, while the store will become a regional hub for employee training and career development.

Follow the opening here:

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