Currys-PC World repays Irish Covid supports, as figures show spike in recipients

Money supported  the retailer despite its shops remaining open during the bulk of lockdown

Currys-PC World has repaid the Covid financial support received by its Irish operations.

Electrical goods retailer Currys-PC World Ireland has repaid the €3.75m received from the Government’s wage subsidy scheme.

The money supported it despite its shops remaining open during the bulk of lockdown as they are deemed essential retail. 

Currys-PC World is owned by the Dixons-Carphone group, which last week announced the exit from the Republic of its Carphone Warehouse chain.

CSO figures show the number of businesses availing of some level of Covid income support — through the wage subsidy scheme and/or the pandemic unemployment payment — reached its highest level in January since last June, with more than 113,000 companies affected.

The CSO also said that retail sales volumes fell nearly 2% last month, but were up 8.5% year-on-year.