Carphone Warehouse to close stores

By Maurice Garvey

CARPHONE Warehouse stores are to close – another victim of the economic times.

On Wednesday morning, Dixons Carphone confirmed the decision to close the Irish Carphone Warehouse business, which is expected to lead to 486 redundancies.

Up to 69 standalone and 12 outlets within a store will all close, including Carphone Warehouse stores in The Square Tallaght, The Mill Centre Clondalkin, Liffey Valley, Citywest and Nutgrove Shopping Centre.

The move will not impact Currys PC World Ireland, which is also owned by the Dixons Carphone group.

The company said changes in shopping behavior “accelerated by the pandemic.”

It said footfall had decreased over the last year by in excess of 40 per cent, along with a 25 per cent increase in customers buying sim free handsets.

In a statement on its website, the company said they “didn’t expect many customers to sign new contracts with us during this time” and “our stores will therefore close immediately.”

“Customers are changing the way they buy mobile devices and connectivity, replacing their handsets less often and buying them separately or as part of more flexible bundles,” it said.

The company said staff had worked hard to make Carphone Warehouse Ireland a success and had been the driving force behind its well-earned reputation for excellent customer service and support.

Irish customers will still be able to avail of services through Currys PC World stores and on Currys.ie

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