New Look is exiting Republic of Ireland with hundreds of jobs axed

It was announced today that New Look is closing its doors in Ireland as New Look Retailers Ireland Ltd entered into liquidation with the High Court and appointed provisional liquidators.

A source close to the business said that the subsidiary of the group in Ireland decided to wind down its operations in the country following years of challenging market conditions, rising costs and weakened consumer demand.

The fashion retailer’s 26 stores in Ireland will close as a result, resulting in 347 employees facing redundancy.

The Irish arm of the business is expected to cease trading following a period of clearance sale.

It is understood that the New Look Group and operations in the UK are not impacted.

A spokesperson for New Look said:  “Over the past few years, we have had to navigate a tough external environment which has only become more unpredictable. While we have adapted to this evolving landscape by investing in our product proposition and digital offer, the increasingly volatile trading conditions have meant we need to expedite our existing plans.

“Following a review of our operations in the Republic of Ireland, we concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading so had to make the difficult but necessary decision to put the business into liquidation.

“Our Irish business has struggled for many years due to rising costs and squeezed consumer spending, despite our efforts to turnaround the performance.

“Our focus now is on supporting our colleagues through this process. We remain confident in the UK market and take pride in offering our customers great-value, high-quality fashion.”