Primark is officially headed for northwest Houston, with plans to open its second Greater Houston store at Willowbrook Mall on July 16, 2026. The fast-fashion giant will move into a chunk of the mall’s long-vacant Sears anchor, adding a national value retailer to a shopping center that has been steadily swapping out big-box dead space for entertainment and fresh retail. The debut is expected to bring hiring for dozens of positions and a grand-opening splash aimed squarely at summer and back-to-school crowds.
Primark sets a mid-July opening
In a company news release, Primark confirmed that the Willowbrook storefront will open on July 16 and said each new U.S. shop will total nearly 30,000 square feet as part of the chain’s ongoing push into the American market. The Willowbrook store will be Primark’s seventh location in Texas and follows a series of recent regional openings. “Our continued U.S. ambition is something we're really proud of,” Primark US President Kevin Tulip said in the announcement, according to PR Newswire.
Inside the old Sears
The new Primark will occupy a portion of the mall’s former Sears building, a big-box space that regional reports put at roughly 191,000 square feet. The rest of that footprint has been turning into an entertainment magnet, with Round1 Bowling & Arcade already taking over a large share of the former department store and pulling in evening visitors. The broader redevelopment of the anchor into a mix of entertainment and retail tenants has been chronicled by local real estate coverage, according to Realty News Report, while Round1 lists its Willowbrook location inside the repurposed Sears box.
Hiring and opening-day plans
As build-out continues, Primark has posted openings for stockroom associates, team leaders and sales associates for the Willowbrook store and is funneling applicants through its online careers portal, according to PR Newswire. The mall, for its part, is advertising a July 16 grand-opening event that kicks off in the late morning with giveaways and in-store promotions tailored to families and students, per Community Impact.
What it means for local retail
Across greater Houston, converting large vacant anchors into a blend of entertainment concepts and value retailers has become standard practice as landlords chase foot traffic and tenants hunt for lower-cost space. Market reporting from local brokers and consultants points to high retail occupancy and a heavy focus on backfilling former department-store boxes with multiuse setups and discount-driven brands. That backdrop helps explain why a fast-fashion, value-focused chain like Primark is stepping into an anchor redo at Willowbrook, according to recent material from local commercial real estate sources.
Primark first telegraphed its Houston ambitions last fall when it announced a Houston debut at Katy Mills, and local outlets have been tracking both that opening and the company’s steady U.S. rollout. Shoppers can expect basics at low price points and a sizable in-store assortment that lines up with Primark’s broader U.S. formula, with more details likely to surface as the July 16 Willowbrook opening gets closer, according to regional coverage by the Houston Chronicle.
