On February 20, 2025, fashion retailer New Look announced the permanent closure of its 26 stores in Ireland. This leaves their 347 workers facing redundancy in the coming weeks.
The appointment of provisional liquidators over the business has come following a period of sustained losses and challenging market conditions for New Look’s Irish business.
National Redundancy Helpline is Ireland’s leading source of impartial redundancy advice and assistance with specialist redundancy advisors to discuss your options and next steps following redundancy.
New Look redundancies
New Look’s Irish outlets first opened in 2003 and most of their stores are of small to medium size,with an average of 12 or 13 workers per store.
Following the decision to close all Irish retail outlets, the company hopes that savings made will be invested in their remaining UK stores and in their digital offering.
A spokesperson from New Look expressed, “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.”
Workers at the troubled retailer were notified immediately of the collective redundancy of all staff and a 30 day staff consultation was initiated.
Trade union reaction
The Mandate Trade Union represents some of the New Look workers and said that today was a difficult one for the workers.
“Because New Look is shutting down its complete operation in the Republic of Ireland this amounts to a collective redundancy which requires a 30-day consultation period and we know our members were informed this morning by the liquidators that the obligation to engage will be honoured,” said Jim Fuery, Interim Assistant General Secretary, Mandate.
“We will be using this 30 day period to ensure that our members’ interests are represented,” Mr Fuery said.
Difficult times for retail sector
The news of New Look’s redundancies comes alongside further bad news for the retail sector as retailer Quiz announced, within hours of the New Look announcement, that their stores in Ireland and the UK had entered administration and were to cease trading.
The closure of Quiz’s 5 Irish shops, 3 in the Republic and 2 in Northern Ireland, and the loss of the Irish jobs are part of an overall loss of close to 200 jobs.
Viability of retail in a challenging environment for bricks and mortar stores may mean that further job losses will follow these announcements.
Indeed they come on the heels of Irish closures such as larger retailers Debenhams in 2020 and Argos in 2023, and the closure of the Ted Baker Irish shops in 2024.
If you are facing redundancy
If you are in a situation where you may be facing redundancy, there are some steps you should take.
It is important to remember that redundancy is a business decision and does not reflect on you as a person.
Retail and other sectors are facing a challenging time post- pandemic with decreased footfall in bricks and mortar shops and businesses and the rapid rise of online shopping and services and it is, unfortunately, inevitable that jobs may transition during a time of change.
Now is the time to make an immediate short plan for your finances in order to deal with the immediate effect of redundancy on your finances and a longer term plan for saving or investing your statutory redundancy payment.
National Redundancy Helpline can help you to assess your employer’s redundancy offer with an online assessment.
It is also a good idea to check out your social welfare entitlements, such as Jobseeker’s Benefit and credited PRSI contributions, for example.
Redundancy means that your job no longer exists. This may be due to an employer’s financial difficulties or for operational reasons.
Your employer must use a fair and objective way of selecting employees for redundancy.
You are entitled to a minimum paid notice period in writing. The length of this notice period will depend on your period of service with your employer.
You may be entitled to a redundancy lump sum, known as statutory redundancy, if you are aged over 16 and have been with your employer for at least 104 weeks continuously.
National Redundancy Helpline is an invaluable source of impartial advice on your entitlements and options.
Dust off your CV or update your LinkedIn profile to aid you in your search for new employment. It is always a good idea to network with your former colleagues or other employment contacts.
Consider enhancing your skills with further training or education to offer you new opportunities for employment.
Contact National Redundancy Helpline
When you are made redundant it is a stressful and difficult time and it can be difficult to know where to turn.
National redundancy helpline is a free, impartial service to assist you in a redundancy situation.
Fill in our online assessment or call us for advice and get no obligation support from our panel of vetted, specialist redundancy advisors who can examine your rights and entitlements and offer you advice on redundancy payments as well as their tax and pension implications.
