DIXONS Carphone has confirmed it will close 22 Carphone Warehouse stores in the north on April 3 as part of a decision to shut 531 UK outlets.
The company said the move is not linked to the impact of Covid-19, but said it will result in 2,900 redundancies. Around 1,800 will be offered roles elsewhere in the business.
None of its 70 stores across the border will be affected by the move.
The retailer it will sell mobiles online and through its Carphone Warehouse ‘shop-in-shop’ ventures based inside its larger Currys PC World outlets in the UK.
There are nine such stores spread around the north, mainly based in out of town retail parks such as Sprucefield, Newry’s Damolly Retail Park, Derry’s Crescent Link and the Railway Junction retail park in Enniskillen.
It’s unclear how many jobs will be lost in Northern Ireland, but the decision represents a blow to shopping centres here. Virtually every major town and city based shopping complex included a Carphone Warehouse outlet from CastleCourt in Belfast to the Foyleside and Richmond centres in Derry.
Dixons Carphone said the shops make up around eight per cent of the entire group's selling space. The retailer said the move is "essential" to help turn around its UK mobile arm, which is set to make a £90 million loss this year.
Carphone Warehouse group chief executive Alex Baldock said: "There's never an easy time for an announcement like this, but the turbulent times ahead only underline the importance of acting now."
He added: "We're working hard to look after those colleagues we can't find new roles for, financially and otherwise.
"We'll pay enhanced redundancy, any bonuses, honour their share awards, and help them find new jobs through an outplacement programme."
