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Writer's pictureLove Ballymena

New chapter at Fairhill with stores expansion and green light for Primark

Tanya McKeown (TDK), Ryan Walker (Magmel (Ballymena) Limited), Mark Thallon (TDK).

Pictured (L-R): Tanya McKeown (TDK), Ryan Walker (Magmel (Ballymena) Limited), Mark Thallon (TDK).


Fairhill Shopping Centre are delighted to have secured planning permission from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for the construction of the landmark Primark store after announcing in May 2023 the new anchor tenant’s plans to relocate to Fairhill.


To facilitate Primarks relocation to Fairhill, River Island will be relocating to a prime location within the scheme unveiling a new format store totalling approx 11,000 sq ft with work already commenced.



River Island will look to unveil a new concept shop fit, taking two floors of retail space within the centre.


New Primark Ballymena store at the Fairhill Shopping Centre

With a focus on ladies, men's and children's fashion, the new concept fit-out will continue to contribute to Fairhill's strong fashion portfolio, offering shoppers a unique retail experience within Northern Ireland.


“We are thrilled with the pace of developments at Fairhill and are particularly excited to secure River Island in a new unit at the very heart of Fairhill," said Ryan Walker from Magmel (Ballymena) Limited.



"The new River Island store represents the beginning of a new chapter for Fairhill, with a modern and vibrant range of retailers driving Ballymena back to the top of the list of must-visit retail destinations. We look forward to the new store opening in time for Christmas.”


Tanya McKeown (TDK), Ryan Walker (Magmel (Ballymena) Limited), Mark Thallon (TDK).

Mark Thallon from TDK Commercial Property Consultants, commented:


“We have been delighted with how well the news of Primark coming to Fairhill has been received, the relocations of River Island and Toytown complete the first phase and we look forward to building on this with several other exciting new openings to follow in the next few months”


Fairhill is also thrilled to announce the news of a larger Toytown coming to the centre. Toytown will relocate from their existing store to a two-storey retail space adjacent to JD Sports, Next and New Look. Toytown takes pride in having one of the widest ranges of toys on the high street.



The larger retail space to be occupied by Toytown will create an improved shopping environment for toys and accessories with a dedicated area for their nursery department, known as Babyworld.


Kris Simpson from Toytown says:


“We are very excited to work with Fairhill in relocating within the centre and the opportunity to provide our customers a better shopping experience in Ballymena. The new unit gives us more space to better showcase the range of toys and nursery products, along with the great value we offer in store.


"We feel the new management of the centre have a real passion for Ballymena and putting Fairhill back on the map and we look forward to seeing how Fairhill develops over the coming years”.



Ryan Walker added:


“Toytown opening a new store at Fairhill is testament to the quality of our retailer line-up and will further bolster Fairhill’s retail offering with the very best regarding toys and children’s nursery equipment. Toytown will bring fun and vibrancy to a unit which has been vacant for some time, and we are looking forward to seeing the doors open in time for Christmas".


Looking into Autumn, Fairhill Shopping Centre is proud to present an exciting range of short-term rentals this Christmas, signalling a triumphant return to total capacity since circa 2017. Experience an exhilarating new phase at Fairhill as it becomes a must-visit retail destination in the region. Fairhill is a must-visit destination with a complete tenant offering in preparation for Q4, with something for everyone under one roof.



Stay updated with our new tenant announcements, store openings and Christmas tenant lineup via our social media channels and Website. Our store directory can be found here:



Our parking information and store opening hours can be found online via the following link:


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