Retailer seeking to reopen some Debenhams stores

ANOTHER retailer is seeking to reopen a number of the Debenhams stores, it has emerged.

The liquidator of the Debenhams Irish operation KPMG has said a different retailer is seeking to reopen a number of the stores, and if successful, it could save hundreds of jobs.

Around 110 jobs were lost locally when Debenhams shuttered its landmark outlet in Limerick city centre.

The Limerick city store had initially suspended trading in March in the wake of the outbreak of the coronavirus but the official confirmation that the store would close came in early April in what was described as “a devastating blow to the city”.

Around 2,000 jobs were lost in total across the country with the closure of the 11 Irish stores in the chain.

According to a report by Petula Martyn of RTE the liquidator has not revealed the name of the retailer or what stores it is interested in reopening.

Former staff have been officially picketing Debenham's 11 Irish stores including Limerick for a number of months calling for what they describe as a fair redundancy package.

They are angry about how the fashion store has treated employees following the closure of its stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.