Primark and throng of retailers to open at Westfield London's £600m extension

Westfield on Tuesday defied concerns about the UK retail market to reveal that Primark and a host of brands have agreed to open within a £600 million expansion at its White City shopping centre.

The Australian property firm behind Westfield London said the budget retailer, which is owned by Associated British Foods, will open a huge 70,000 square feet shop there next year.

Other retailers signed up for space include upmarket cosmetics firms Urban Decay and Space NK, lingerie brand Bravissimo, electronics group Currys PC World, and menswear labels Frencheye and Emperor.

They will join John Lewis, which is opening a store at the west London mall.

The deals will give Westfield confidence that it will have no problems filling up the extended part of the shopping centre, despite a tough retail market.

High Street brands have been facing higher business rates, competition from online rivals, and customers being squeezed by higher inflation.

The extension will open in March and provide an extra 740,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and leisure space, bringing the total to 2.6 million square feet.