Gap closure the latest blow to Cork's retail market
Shoppers on Opera Lane, Cork city on the reopening day of non-essential retail.
Gap is the latest in a line of retail giants to announce it will close its brick-and-mortar stores in Munster.
The American clothing brand will close its shopfront on Opera Lane in Cork’s city centre alongside its stores in Limerick’s Crescent Shopping Centre and Dublin.
The company says the stores will be closed in “a phased manner’ from the end of August through to the end of September.
The decision follows a strategic review aimed at “finding new, more cost-effective ways to maintain a presence and serve customers in Europe”.
Gap’s exit from Cork’s Opera Lane is the latest blow to the city’s retail centre, following the closure of Debenhams, Monsoon, Oasis, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, and Warehouse, none of whom reopened their doors on May 17.
The retailer said “support and transition assistance” will be provided to colleagues affected by the closures, though it did not specify how many employees have been affected.
The apparel brand has been active in the Republic of Ireland since 2006.
In a statement, Gap said: “In the United Kingdom and Europe, we are going to maintain our Gap online business.
“The e-commerce business continues to grow and we want to meet our customers where they are shopping.
“We’re becoming a digital first business and we’re looking for a partner to help drive our online business.
“Due to market dynamics in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, we shared with our team today that we are proposing to close all company-operated Gap Specialty and Gap Outlet stores in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in a phased manner from the end of August through the end of September 2021.
“We are thoughtfully moving through the consultation process with our European team, and we will provide support and transition assistance for our colleagues as we look to wind down stores."
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