Queues form in Limerick to bag a bargain at New Look's closing down sale
Clothing retailer's stores were closed on Friday and Saturday, before re-opening this Sunday
A LONG line of bargain hunters queued up outside New Look in Limerick city this Sunday ahead of the store's closing down sale.
Mary Immaculate College lecturer, historian and Limerick Leader columnist Paul O'Brien took a photo of the queue while in Cruises Street, which he shared on X.
There was shock earlier this week as New Look announced the closure of its Irish stores with the retailer's 347 employees across the country facing redundancy
New Look stores were closed on Friday and Saturday, before re-opening this Sunday, February 23 for a clearance sale. It has drawn a big crowd to Limerick's shop.
The company has 26 stores in the Republic of Ireland - in Dublin (6), Cork (4), Galway (2), Wicklow (2), Carlow, Clonmel, Navan, Limerick, Dungarvan, Newbridge, Killarney, Dungarvan, Wexford, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Castlebar.
In a statement released on Thursday, New Look said they have "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."
All of the stores closed their doors within minutes of the High Court application being granted.
The retailer said that staff were notified immediately and further staff engagement is planned over the coming days. The statement added: "Regrettably, a collective redundancy process, impacting all colleagues in the ROI is also envisaged."
New Look said the decision was not taken lightly, however its Irish operation has "struggled for some years" with supply-chain and in-market costs as well as squeezed consumer spending.
The statement said: "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 added: "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."