486 jobs lost with the shock closure of Carphone Warehouse

There has been widespread shock at the announcement that Irish Carphone Warehouse business has closed resulting in more than 480 job losses.

Carphone Warehouse said its 69 standalone and 12 outlets within a store will all close. The company had outlets in Navan, Ashbourne and Drogheda.

The move will not impact Currys PC World Ireland, which is also owned by the Dixons Carphone group.

In a statement on its website, the company said the move was part of a broader transformation of its parent business Dixons Carphone.

"Customers are changing the way they buy mobile devices and connectivity, replacing their handsets less often and buying them separately or as part of more flexible bundles," it said.

The company said staff had worked hard to make Carphone Warehouse Ireland a success and had been the driving force behind its well-earned reputation for excellent customer service and support.

"This difficult decision is no reflection on their commitment, dedication, and professionalism," it said.

"Footfall in our Carphone Warehouse stores is down significantly, and we don’t expect many customers to sign new contracts with us during this time; our stores will therefore close immediately. We’ll continue to help our customers via our central customer support team and will also ask some colleagues to provide operational support over the coming days."

For any queries customers may have there is a Q&A page on the company's website

Reacting to the news, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said:

“This news will come as a major blow to Carphone Warehouse employees and their families after what has been an incredibly difficult year. My thoughts are with them receiving this news today and I want them to know that the Government will make all necessary State assistance available to the workers. The Minister for Social Protection is aware of the situation and we will work across Government, to help them find new employment, education and training opportunities as soon as possible.

“I know many high street retailers have been under pressure for some time now, as consumers move online - a shift which has been accelerated by the pandemic and I understand that this has contributed to the Carphone Warehouse’s decision today. Government is working in a coordinated way, through the Retail Forum, and has committed unprecedented levels of financial aid to support retail businesses through these exceptionally difficult times and will continue to do so.”