Fears over thousands of retail jobs as Covid crunch bites

Topshop in Cork, whose parent group has entered administration in the UK, undermining thousands of jobs. Picture: Andy Gibson

Fears are rising that thousands of Irish workers in big fashion chains and general retailing will not survive a winter jobs cull, even as the lifting of level 5 restrictions saw shoppers flocking back to stores today.

It comes as the landscape for Irish city centres could become a lot bleaker amid doubts that Britain’s Arcadia, which owns Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis, Miss Selfridge, Evans, and Burton, will find a buyer after going into administration in Britain and Ireland this week.