Liverpool prepares Primark master franchise in Mexico

El Puerto de Liverpool is in the final stages of negotiating a master franchise agreement to bring Primark to Mexico and expects it could be signed before the end of 2026. As that process moves forward, the Mexican company is assessing locations and working with the Irish brand’s global team on the details of its expansion.

An agreement in preparation, not a confirmed opening

According to a report by El CEO on 27 October, Liverpool executives provided an update on the project during the company’s quarterly earnings call. This follows the announcement of the partnership between the two companies on 10 September.

The latest development is the work to finalise the master franchise agreement and determine how Primark’s presence in Mexico will take shape. The expectation of signing before the year-end refers to the contractual agreement, not an announced date for store openings.

For those following Mexico’s franchise market, the project stands out for pairing an international fashion brand with an operator that already has an extensive retail and property footprint across the country. However, Liverpool’s update makes clear that the project remains in preparation: the company is refining the agreement and planning the expansion.

That distinction matters when tracking progress: the partnership announced in September, the future signing of the contract and the start of store operations are separate milestones.

Locations will determine the pace of growth

Liverpool said it is working with Primark’s global team on detailed plans for the brand’s arrival. Site selection is central to that process: executives said they are carefully assessing locations to maximise sales productivity and determine the pace of expansion.

This approach ties property decisions to expected retail performance, rather than simply the number of stores. The update focused on that assessment and the structure of the agreement, without providing an opening schedule or a list of selected cities.

According to Liverpool, the model combines Primark’s global recognition and retail capabilities with the local company’s knowledge of the Mexican market, property expertise and operational capabilities.

These complementary roles underpin the master franchise project. Primark brings its brand and international retail expertise, while Liverpool is preparing the Mexican rollout using the resources it outlined to participants in the earnings call.

Suburbia will retain its format

Liverpool also clarified the future of Suburbia. For now, the company has ruled out converting stores in that chain into Primark outlets, explaining that the two formats target different customer segments.

This clarification defines the scope of the planned arrival: the announced plans do not involve replacing Suburbia stores with the Irish brand. The search for Primark locations should therefore be distinguished from any conversion of the existing clothing and footwear store network.

Liverpool has around 321 stores under the Liverpool and Suburbia brands, alongside 173 specialist boutiques and 30 shopping centres. It also employs more than 83,000 people in Mexico, according to the figures cited in the report.

These figures illustrate the scale of the local partner, but do not represent commitments of premises or staff to Primark. The company is still assessing where to locate the new retail offering and how to manage its growth.

A global brand approaches the Mexican market

Primark was founded in Ireland in 1969 and operates more than 500 stores across 19 markets worldwide, according to information Liverpool previously shared about its new partner. For the Mexican company, the addition offers an opportunity to strengthen its portfolio of international brands.

The commercial outlook is not without caveats. Valmex suggested that the partnership could strengthen Liverpool’s clothing and footwear offering, while warning of potentially weak demand in the short term. This is an assessment of market conditions, not an observed outcome for Primark in Mexico.

The next developments to watch will be the signing of the agreement and the decisions on locations and the pace of expansion that Liverpool is preparing. The practical takeaway for the franchise community is to distinguish each stage: an agreement at an advanced stage of negotiation does not yet mean stores are open or that an opening schedule has been confirmed.