Business

Dunnes returns to profit in the north

Dunnes Stores made a £700,000 pre-tax profit last year. Picture by Hugh Russell
Dunnes Stores made a £700,000 pre-tax profit last year. Picture by Hugh Russell Dunnes Stores made a £700,000 pre-tax profit last year. Picture by Hugh Russell

DUNNES Stores returned to profit in the north last year, new accounts how.

The Irish supermarket chain, which reports its UK operations as Dunnes Stores (Bangor) Ltd, made a £700,000 pre-tax profit in the year to December 29 2018.

It followed a £23 million loss last year. The retail business, which shut all its stores in Britain last year, saw its turnover drop from £113m to £107m during 2018, but managed to cut costs by £6m.

Dunnes workforce fell by 120 last year to 1,230

Despite the return to profit, the retailer last month moved to close its store in Larne. It followed closures in Bangor, Belfast, Antrim, Portadown, Ballymoney and Antrim in recent years.