Mothercare registers pre-tax losses of €1.4m

MOTHERCARE (Ireland) swung into the red last year with pre-tax losses of €1.4 million.

This follows a profit of almost e1m in the previous year which covered the 12 months to March 25, 2007.

The Irish operations of the babywear and nursery retailer had a turnover of e29.3m in the year to March 30, 2008, according to accounts filed with the Companies Registration Office.

Operating profit amounted to almost e1m from e871,700 in the previous year.

Mothercare (Ireland) has traded as a separate stand-alone franchise to the main British-based company since 1992. The company has two directors, Sean O’Shea and David Ward, and operates 14 stores in the Republic. Its Drogheda location is the newest in the company’s store portfolio and did not contribute to earnings in the year under review.

The accounts note that the directors are satisfied with the results for the year and look forward to improving profitability in the coming periods.

The directors note however that there are “many factors which may materially and adversely affect our ability to achieve our objectives and to successfully continue in operation”.

Accounts show Mothercare had 212 employees here with staff costs amounting to e4.1m from e3.6m in the 2007 period.