Dublin headquartered retailer, Primark, which trades as Pennys in Ireland, has opened its 200th store.

The company has stores in seven countries - Ireland, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium - and will open 14 more stores this year bringing the total to 214 by calendar year end.

The new 200th store is located in the UK, on The Mall in Blackburn, and was officially opened by Ricky Whittle, star of Strictly Come Dancing and former Hollyoak's actor. The store is 39,500 square feet over two floors and will feature fashion ranges for men, women and children including footwear and accessories along with lingerie and homewares.

Paul Marchant, Chief Executive of Penneys/Primark said, "The opening of our store today in the UK is a great milestone for us as we hit the magic 200 store figure. We are delighted to be here at The Mall in Blackburn with a magnificent new store which we know has been eagerly anticipated".