New look fashion shops in The Square and Liffey Valley to close

RETAILER New Look is facing closure of its business in Ireland, amid fears for the loss of close to 350 jobs, including up to 30 staff at stores in The Square, Tallaght and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

The UK-owned fashion retailer said the decision to wind down its Irish operations follows several years of sustained losses and challenging market conditions.

The High Court approved the appointment of Shane McCarthy and Cormac O’Connor of KPMG Ireland as Provisional Liquidators over the business and its assets.

The company said staff were notified immediately following the appointment and a 30-day staff consultation process is due to commence over the coming days.

New Look is facing closure of its business in Ireland, amid fears for the loss of close to 350 jobs, including up to 30 staff at stores in The Square, Tallaght and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

New Look employs a total of 347 staff across its 26-store network in the Republic of Ireland.

A majority of its stores are of small to medium size, employing an average of 12-13 staff per store.

In a statement, the company said: “The decision to seek the appointment of liquidators was not taken lightly. New Look’s Irish operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors including supply-chain and in-market costs, and squeezed consumer spending.”

Following a strategic review of the Irish business, New Look Group concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading in Ireland.

New Look stores will be closed over the coming days, before re-opening on February 23 for a clearance sale.