MORE THAN 100 jobs are at risk at the Blanchardstown shopping centre in Dublin as a result of the closure of several outlets operated by the Arcadia Group.
The trade union Mandate said the Arcadia Group outlets in the centre included Topman, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Outfit and Evans.
The union said the company told staff yesterday that the stores were to be closed in September as it could not secure an agreement with the management of the centre to reduce rents. It said the stores had 104 employees.
However, Green Properties, which owns and operates the Blanchardstown Centre, said it had had no discussions or correspondence with the Arcadia Group in relation to rents for its outlets.
A spokesman said the Arcadia Group had five stores rather than eight in the centre and that the leases were due to expire next September. He said he looked forward to having discussions with the company in due course.
The Arcadia Group said that when a lease expired, as will be the case in the Blanchardstown Centre in September after 15 years of trading, it evaluated “the viability and ongoing business case to renew or exit the leases.
“In the case of Blanchardstown Centre, to renew the lease is not financially viable due to many economic reasons and costs.” Arcadia said it always endeavoured to redeploy employees where possible.
In a statement yesterday, Mandate divisional organiser Brendan O’Hanlon said Arcadia staff were told “that because of the refusal of the Blanchardstown Centre’s management to agree to a reduction in the rents being charged the stores will close in September . . .
“Argos has already announced that it will be closing its Blanchardstown store in July for the same reason.”
He said the closure of the stores were not in any way linked to any industrial relations issues. Mr O’Hanlon said staff were “shocked and disappointed” at the development.
He said Mandate would be engaging with Arcadia to minimise the number of job losses and to negotiate the best possible terms for those who will be made redundant.