STROLL down most British high streets and you’d be hard-pressed to not spot a Primark bag being clutched by a shopper.
But while the retail giant is one of the most recognised brands in the country – less is known about the glamorous Primark heiress, Jess Ryan.
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Jess Ryan, right, pictured with best friend Karen Buckley, left, is the daughter of the founder of Primark Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Arthur Ryan opened the first store – known as Penneys in Ireland – in 1969, and there are now 480 worldwideCredit: Not known clear with picture desk
Jess is the daughter of Irish entrepreneur Arthur Ryan, who founded Penneys (as Primark is known in Ireland) in 1969, with the financial backing of the wealthy Weston family.
The first store opened on Mary Street in Dublin, and since then, the brand has impressively boomed to over 480 stores across 19 countries and is worth a staggering £12billion.
While Primark products – and their iconic brown paper shopping bags – are everywhere, Arthur kept his family life under the radar, and was scarcely a household name before he passed away aged 83 in 2019 after a short illness.
Said to be intensely private, he rarely gave interviews, and lived in a highly-protected home in Dublin.
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Arthur with second wife Alma Carroll, who he married in 1978 Credit: Unknown
Singer Alma came third in Eurovision with Irish duo The Swarbriggs Credit: Shutterstock
His daily schedule was typically kept secret from all but his closest aides – due to high-profile business leaders in Ireland being ransom targets for groups such as the IRA.
Arthur was married twice.
First to Rose, with whom he had four children, Colin, Arthur, Alison, and Barry, and then in 1978 to singer Alma Carroll, who had two kids from her first marriage to Gerry McGuiness, formerly of Independent Newspapers.
Alma had previously come third in the Eurovision song contest the previous year after teaming up with Irish duo The Swarbriggs.
Arthur and Alma welcomed just one child together, Jess.
Alma and daughter Jess at the Irish Fashion Exposure Autumn Winter show Credit: Kieran Harnett
Primark has impressively boomed to over 480 stores across 19 countries and is worth a staggering £12billion Credit: Alamy
Alma gushed of Arthur: “I know people talk about love at first sight, but we had a very strong connection immediately.
“It was a really good time for me, as I was in my 30s and past the trauma of the separation, and we felt so lucky to have Jessica. We have been unbelievably happy.
“It was absolutely incredible having a daughter. She has been wonderful and has never given us any problems.
“I always say that if Jess is your friend, you’re very lucky, as she is terribly loyal.”
Primark is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods (ABF), which is majority-owned by the Weston family, and employee Arthur is said to have racked up a £6.6million shareholding by 2014.
He is also thought to have amassed significant personal wealth through decades of high-level salary, bonuses, and likely private investments – although the full amount – and Jess’ inheritance – is not public.
Growing up, Jess initially thought she may follow her mother into showbiz, and attended stage school and was a trained dancer.
However, after doing TV reconstructions and radio voiceovers and embarking on a film studies course, she realised it wasn’t for her.
Jess pivoted to doing a marketing degree and masters, with the aim of following her successful father into business.
While studying, she rolled up her sleeves and worked part-time in Penneys’ buying office to get some experience first hand.
She shared: “I saw what my dad had achieved in business and I wanted to follow that path.
“I wasn’t as much drawn to fashion as I am to beauty and accessories, and I said to mum one day that I would really love to have my own beauty salon.”
Her dream came true when she opened Mimi’s Beauty Room in the Dublin suburb of Sandymount in 2011 with best pal and qualified beauty therapist Karen Buckley.
Jess opened Mimi’s Beauty Room in the Dublin in 2011 Credit: x/CarterMarissa
And following in her father’s footsteps of purse-friendly products, her treatments for eyes, hands, feet, waxing and tanning were said to be competitively priced.
The company still has a social media presence on X, but hasn’t posted since 2017.
“I see so much of her father in her,” praised Alma. “She stays so calm in a crisis and always finds a solution. She is a terrific little businesswoman.”
Jess is said to have found love early in life, meeting her now-husband quantity surveyor Rory McGuigan when she was just 17 years old.
They tied the knot in 2012 during a two-day wedding celebration in Killarney, Ireland.
The celebrations took place at Europa Hotel and Golf Resort, with attending guests rumoured to include Louis Walsh, Kathleen Watkins and model Alison Canavan.
They had originally planned to marry in Spain, but Arthur felt he’d prefer to keep the money in the country, according to the Irish Independent.
The family were struck by tragedy in June 2015 when Arthur’s son (Jess’ half-brother) Barry, then 51, and his grandson Barry, 20, and his girlfriend 20, drowned while fishing off rocks in West Cork.
Despite being dubbed the “Primark heiress” by many, Jess has largely kept out of the spotlight and lived a lowkey life.
In 2013, Jess and Rory welcomed their first baby together.
Primark’s take-over of the high street
FROM designer dupes and Disney collections to trendy homeware, Primark has built up a reputation for being the cheap ‘one stop shop’ selling all the latest must-have buys at irresistibly low prices.
While the quality is often criticised, when you can buy an entire catwalk-inspired outfit for less than a meal out it’s not surprising over 2 million shoppers flock to its 450 stores every single week.
Founded in Ireland in 1969, Primark is a huge, international powerhouse in the world of high street shopping, employing more than 80,000 people in 17 countries across Europe and the US.
Boasting annual sales of £9bn, more and more shoppers are looking at their favourite designers and celebs for inspiration – and then turning to Primark to find bargain ‘knock-off’ versions for less.
And due to the cost of living crisis and rising bills, it’s little wonder the store – affectionately dubbed ‘Primarni’ by those looking to get the designer look on a shoestring budget – is so popular.
