Too early to tell if Irish shops will be hit by shoe chain Clarks' 900 job cuts plan
It is too early to know if the Irish operations of British shoe retailer Clarks will be affected by its plan to cut 900 jobs from its global workforce as part of a restructuring programme which will see it increasingly focus on online sales.
Clarks has 13 stores in the Republic and four in the North, all of which have been temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. In total, Clarks has 1,400 shops across 75 countries.
As well as not giving regional details on its plan, Clarks has not given any guidance on the prospect of permanent store closures, although such a move has been rumoured.
The redundancies will take effect over the next 18 months but include an immediate 160 cuts – 108 being from its UK headquarters. The company said the losses will be partially balanced by the creation of 200 new roles, meaning it will have 700 fewer people working for it in a year and a half.
Chief executive Giorgio Presca said Clarks is now concentrating on expanding the use of digital and social channels to connect with consumers as part of its long-term strategy.
“There are exciting opportunities ahead for our business, and we are having to make some difficult decisions to get there," he said.
