400 Irish and British jobs to be lost as fashion retailer shuts stores

MORE than 400 staff in Ireland and Britain are to lose their jobs after administrators failed to find a buyer for 35 Jane Norman stores.

Jane Norman, which employs 1,600 staff, shut its 94 stores and appointed Zolfo Cooper as administrator on Monday after it became the latest victim of the squeeze in consumer spending.

Zolfo said it had been unable to find a new owner for 35 stores, impacting on 320 jobs, while 106 positions at its London head office will also be axed.

Five of the seven stores in Ireland are to close. The Sligo store has been bought along with 33 Jane Norman shops in Britain by retail group Edinburgh Woollen Mill under a pre-packaged administration sale.

The store in Whitewater, Co Kildare will also continue to trade under the administrators, with Edinburgh Woollen Mill having the option of purchasing it at a later date.

Administrators Zolfo Cooper said the sale also includes stock in all 94 of the standalone stores and stock in Britain and a number of overseas concessions.

Edinburgh is also in discussions with Zolfo about buying a further 28 stores in a move that could save hundreds more jobs.

In the meantime, the group’s 95 concessions, which are mainly in department store chain Debenhams, will continue to trade while the administrator talks to the retailer about a possible sale.

If Debenhams decides to buy the concessions, it could save a further 496 jobs.

Some of the staff at the head office and Coventry warehouse are being kept on for the time being as the company prepares to wind down.