Irish retail union seeks talks on Debenhams store plans

Irish union bosses have called for an urgent meeting with UK retailer Debenhams as the firm said it would close 50 stores in the next five years after posting the biggest full-year loss in more than two centuries.

Irish retail union seeks talks on Debenhams store plans

By Pádraig Hoare

Irish union bosses have called for an urgent meeting with UK retailer Debenhams as the firm said it would close 50 stores in the next five years after posting the biggest full-year loss in more than two centuries.

Debenhams is saying little about the future of its Irish operations as it announced the British store closures after posting a record full-year loss of £491.5m (€550m).

The struggling retailer, which has 11 stores in Ireland and five in the North, said 50 of its 166 stores were to close, with up to 4,000 jobs in the UK in the firing line.

When asked specifically about the implications for the Irish arm of Debenhams, a spokesman for the firm said it was not giving any details of the 50 stores at this stage.

The firm’s full-year loss of £491.5 (€550m) was the worst in its 240-year history and comes during a period of major turmoil for a range of British companies such as House of Fraser and John Lewis.

Household name Toys ‘R’ Us and electronics firm Maplin have closed as consumer habits change and online shopping rose dramatically in recent years.

The Irish division of Debenhams has 11 stores in Ireland in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Newbridge, and Tralee. There are also five stores in the North, in Belfast, Derry, Newry, Craigavon, and Ballymena.

The Irish stores have become synonymous with main city streets, including Henry St’s Ilac Centre in Dublin, and St Patrick’s St in Cork, where it took over one of the city’s most famous flagship shops, Roches Stores, in 2006.

Debenhams Ireland exited examinership in 2016, with the loss of nearly 100 jobs.

The chain has 27,000 employees in the UK in 166 stores, and issued a number of profit warnings this year alone before the plan was announced for the 50-store closure.

Trade union Mandate, which represents many of the Irish staff, said it was not satisfied with the details emanating from the UK, saying it was too vague.

Mandate assistant general secretary Gerry Light said:

We are seeking an urgent meeting with the senior management of Debenhams in Ireland on behalf of our members.

Mr Light said he feared the firm’s plan was indicative that “Brexit waves were starting to finally break following a few ripples so far”.

“What happened in 2016 came as a shock but we worked through the process painstakingly. This time, it is not news you want to wake up to, especially before Christmas. Brexit is not going to be good for retailers, and especially not for UK retailers with operations in Ireland,” he said.

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