Britain’s shock vote to leave the EU probably means a bad knock to consumer confidence. But that doesn’t need to feed through to bad vibes for all retailers.

Retail giant Dixons Carphone is to shut 12 Irish stores under plans to roll out electrical superstores merging its three main brands across the UK and Ireland.

Dixons says 15 stores are likely to close here as a result of its merger with Carphone Warehouse.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Galway-based specialist financial services company Fintrax is reportedly set to be sold just three years after being bought for up to €170m.

How often do you check your phone during the day? According to a survey from Ignite Research the average Irish person checks their phones 40 times a day.

Shares in the owner of Carphone Warehouse fell today after it revealed that the personal details of up to 2.4 million people may have been stolen when a division of the company was hit by a cyber attack.

The personal data of up to 2.4m customers of Dixons Carphone may have been exposed in a cyber attack, the electrical goods and mobile phone retailer confirmed.

A friend and business partner of former Anglo Irish Chairman Sean FitzPatrick has told a trial that he was not aware of several transfers made from a bank account they held jointly.

Pre-tax losses at the Irish arm of the electrical goods retailer, Dixons, increased by 19% to €3.15m, last year.

Carphone Warehouse Ireland has staged a remarkable turnaround in the past 12 months, turning a near €10m loss in 2013 into a €2.1m profit last year.

A “barnstorming” performance from its core UK and Ireland division, helped newly merged electronics retail giant, Dixons-Carphone record a 5% year-on-year jump in first half revenues.

Some of the 5,600 Phones 4U jobs in peril following the retailer’s collapse have been saved after Dixons Carphone offered to take on 800 posts.

A new era in consumer electronics in the UK begins today when Carphone Warehouse and the owner of Currys and PC World join forces under a £3.9 billion merger.

A new era in consumer electronics begins today when Carphone Warehouse and the owner of Currys and PC World join forces under a £3.9bn (€4.9m) merger.

Carphone Warehouse said it was approaching its £3.6bn (€4.50bn) tie-up with the owner of PC World and Currys from a “position of strength” as the two merger partners delivered separate results for the final time today.

Currys and PC World owner Dixons Retail is to sell a loss-making European business in the wake of its merger deal with Carphone Warehouse.

Carphone Warehouse and the owner of Currys and PC World have announced a merger deal valuing the combined business at around £3.7bn.

A £3.7 billion merger between Carphone Warehouse and Dixons is set to be unveiled this week in a move creating a retail giant with 1,300 UK stores.

US computer giant Apple has granted retail boss Angela Ahrendts almost €50m in stock options as she takes up her new post.

The former managing director of the Dixons retail operation in Ireland received a payoff of over €300,000 when he stepped down from the role last year.

A merger of Dixons Retail Group and Carphone Warehouse would create an electronics giant with an estimated market value of £3.6bn.

International electronic goods retailer, Dixons Retail has reported a 6% year-on-year rise in first half sales; mainly driven by strong growth in its core UK and Ireland division.

The owner of Currys and PC World unveiled its vision of the "urban toy shop" today with the opening of a high-tech store at a major UK shopping centre.

Former Dixons boss John Browett is making a retail comeback as the chief executive of Monsoon Accessorize, four months after his shock exit from Apple.

Shares in Dublin gained further ground yesterday in line with most world bourses and on the back of a successful sovereign bid by the National Treasury Management Agency raising €500m.

“Phenomenal” demand for tablet devices drove sales at the British and Irish operations of electronic goods seller, Dixons Retail, up by 8% during the company’s third quarter, which coincided with the busy Christmas trading period.

The owner of PC World and Currys benefited from the demise of rival Comet today by reporting a bigger-than-expected surge in Christmas sales.

The boss of Dixons Retail today said the Currys and PC World owner was poised to take advantage of the demise of rival Comet.

Around 6,500 UK retail jobs were under threat today as electricals chain Comet became the latest casualty on the high street.

Cork electrical retailer Flor Griffin is set to close its three stores after almost 40 years in business, with the loss of 15 jobs.

Electrical goods seller Dixons Retail eliminated more than £100 million (€124m) of net debt last year, but profits were dragged down by a poor performance in mainland Europe.

The owner of PC World and Currys offered some cheer from the embattled sector today as it posted a 15% hike in UK & Ireland profits after a rebound in sales.

On Tuesday’s Irish Examiner, it was reported that Ewald Nowotny who is a member of the ECB Governing Council had stated that European policymakers must avoid repeating a “single-minded” focus on austerity that helped bring the Nazis into power in the 1930s German economic crisis.

Irish retailers are facing potential costs of around €10m this year for accepting payments via credit and debit cards.

A retail boss credited with helping PC World and Currys stores survive the downturn has been poached by technology giant Apple to run its portfolio of retail shops.

CONSUMER electronics retail group Dixons Retail — which operates the Currys, PC World and Dixons Travel brands — has reported a 5% decline in like-for-like sales for the three months up to January 7.

FALLING consumption levels led first-half losses at electrical goods retailer, Dixons Retail to widen by over £18 million (€21m).

Currys and PC World owner Dixons Retail rose above the troubles of rivals Comet and Best Buy today by posting an improved UK performance.

FIRST-quarter sales at electrical goods retailer Dixons fell by 1% on a year-on-year basis, the group said yesterday, with its core Irish and British division seeing a 9% sales fall.

Royal Bank of Scotland shares slumped 12% today as litigation fears, weak economic data and the eurozone debt crisis drained market confidence.

A RAFT of companies are pulling advertising from the News of the World in the wake of phone-hacking allegations.

Dixons Retail posted a fall in profits today as the PC World and Currys owner joined rival Comet in counting the cost of gruelling trading conditions.

Mothercare today dealt a fresh blow to the UK high street as it unveiled plans to close 110 outlets and focus on out-of-town superstores.