New Look to close Irish stores with the loss of almost 50 Cork jobs 

Cork is to lose 48 jobs as retailer New Look is to leave the Irish market after undertaking a review and concluding that it was no longer viable to continue trading in Ireland.

New Look’s Wilton store has 10 staff, Blackpool has nine, Opera Lane has 18 and Ballincollig has 11, with the company telling The Echo that the vast majority of roles are part time.

The shutting down of the Opera Lane store comes shortly after lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret and American cosmetics and fragrance retailer Bath and Body Works opened on the street in December.

The news that Mountain Warehouse was to occupy the empty lot where Topshop used to be located had meant that Opera Lane would be at full occupancy for the first time since 2019.

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

New Look entered the Irish market in 2003. It operates a network of 26 stores across the Republic of Ireland. Shoppers in the Republic of Ireland can continue to access New Look’s collections through ASOS and Very.

New Look Retailers (Ireland) Ltd today sought the appointment of provisional liquidators as it seeks to wind down its Irish operations following several years of sustained losses and challenging market conditions.

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

New Look’s staff were notified immediately following this appointment and further staff engagement is planned over the coming days.

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

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

A 30-day staff consultation process will commence over the coming days, the company said, adding: “Regrettably, a collective redundancy process, impacting all colleagues in the ROI is also envisaged.

“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.

“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. The group will refocus investment on its UK business and its digital offering.” 

A New Look spokesperson said: “Over the past few years, we have had to navigate a tough external environment which has only become more unpredictable. We have adapted to this evolving landscape by investing in our product proposition and digital offer.

“However, 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.

“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.”