New Look will be closing 26 of its high street stores in the Republic of Ireland, it has been announced.
A total of 360 jobs could be lost due to the closures as the Irish branch of the business goes into liquidation.
Stores will be closed over the coming days, before reopening on February 23 for a clearance sale.
The High Court in Ireland approved the appointment of provisional liquidators on Thursday as New Look seeks to wind down its Irish operations following several years of “sustained losses and challenging market conditions”, reports The Mirror.
New Look first entered the Irish market in 2003 however it is noe believed that a collective redundancy process which would impact all employees in the Republic of Ireland will be the outcome.
Concerns have been raised over the workers who will be impacted by this decision – the Irish Labour Party said urgent action to protect them is required from the company.
The party’s enterprise spokesman George Lawlor said: « New Look Retailers Ireland Ltd must recognise the human impact of this decision and immediately engage with workers in a meaningful and constructive manner.
« Workers must be given clarity on redundancy terms or redeployment options. They cannot be left in limbo. »
The company said its Irish operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors including squeezed consumer spending and supply chain.
It added: « New Look has undergone changes to adapt to this market – including marketing initiatives, store adaptations and price range trials – however, following a strategic review of the Irish business, New Look Group concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading in Ireland. »
A New Look spokesperson said: « Due to the increasingly volatile trading conditions we needed to expedite our existing plans, which included conducting a review of our operations in the Republic of Ireland.
« Following this review, the group regrettably concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading here, so it has made the difficult but necessary decision to enter liquidation in this market. »
Full list of New Look stores in Ireland closing
Dublin
Northside Shopping Centre
Liffey Valley
Tallaght
Omni Park
Blanchardstown
Jervis Street
Cork
Wilton
Ballincollig
Blackpool
Opera Lane
Galway
Galway City
Galway Retail Park
Wicklow
Ashbourne
Arklow
Other locations
Carlow
Clonmel
Navan
Limerick
Dundalk
Newbridge
Killarney
Dungarvan
Wexford
Mullingar
Letterkenny
Castlebar
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