It is expected a decision will be reached within a matter of days on whether the Vero Moda and Jack & Jones outlets in Athlone Towncentre have any hope of re-opening to the public.
The fashion stores closed their doors this week after the company behind the brands, Bestseller Retail (Ireland ) Ltd, announced it was to shut 14 of its 36 stores across the country with the loss of 80 jobs.
However, despite both outlets in Athlone Towncentre having remained closed all week, the possibility of their reopening has not been ruled out, following talks this week between general manager of Bestseller Retail, Lucy O’Mahony, and Athlone Towncentre’s management company Bannon Commercial.
Marketing manager of Athlone Towncentre, Shirley Delahunt, says the decision is now in the hands of the stores’ holding company.
“They have visited the site, and the decision is now in the hands of the Bestseller group. We hope to have a decision on the long-term future of the stores in the next couple of days,” she explained.
The Vero Moda outlet in Golden Island shopping centre escaped closure and is still trading.
Vero Moda stores in Swords, Carlow, Waterford, Sligo, Blackpool, Douglas, Charlestown, Drogheda, and Navan; Jack & Jones outlets in Swords and Drogheda; and the Name It store in Charlestown also shut their doors this week after an interim examiner was appointed to restructure Bestseller Retail.
The company’s remaining 22 stores across the country will continue to trade, though it says it will “continue to negotiate with its landlords to secure ‘more realistic’ rents for its other outlets”. Bestseller Retail (Ireland ) has built up liabilities that exceed its assets by €4.1 million.
