New Look will be closing 26 of its high street stores in the Republic of Ireland, it has been announced.

       A total of 360 jobs could be lost due to the closures as the Irish branch of the business goes into liquidation.

       Stores will be closed over the coming days, before reopening on February 23 for a clearance sale.

       The High Court in Ireland approved the appointment of provisional liquidators on Thursday, as New Look seeks to wind down its Irish operations following several years of “sustained losses and challenging market conditions”, reports The Mirror.

       Following the High Court decision, the staff at the affected stores were notified and a 30-day consultation process was launched. It is believed, however, that this will end in a collective redundancy process impacting all employees in the Republic of Ireland.

       READ MORE: High street clothing brand to close 26 stores with 350 jobs at risk - full list

       Concerns have been raised over the workers who will be impacted by this decision - the Irish Labour Party said urgent action to protect them is required from the company.

       The party’s enterprise spokesman George Lawlor said: "New Look Retailers Ireland Ltd must recognise the human impact of this decision and immediately engage with workers in a meaningful and constructive manner. Workers must be given clarity on redundancy terms or redeployment options. They cannot be left in limbo."

       The company, which first entered the Irish market in 2003, said the local operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors, including squeezed consumer spending and supply chain.

       It added: "New Look has undergone changes to adapt to this market – including marketing initiatives, store adaptations and price range trials – however, following a strategic review of the Irish business, New Look Group concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading in Ireland."

       A New Look spokesperson said: "Due to the increasingly volatile trading conditions we needed to expedite our existing plans, which included conducting a review of our operations in the Republic of Ireland.

       "Following this review, the group regrettably concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading here, so it has made the difficult but necessary decision to enter liquidation in this market."

       DON'T MISS...

       Cleaning guru shares easiest method to make air fryer look as good as new [REPORT]

       Holly Willoughby takes inspiration from Princess Diana's most iconic looks [LATEST]

       Iconic high street chains to close 4 stores before March [DETAILS]

       Dublin

       Northside Shopping Centre

       Liffey Valley

       Tallaght

       Omni Park

       Blanchardstown

       Jervis Street

       Cork

       Wilton

       Ballincollig

       Blackpool

       Opera Lane

       Galway

       Galway City

       Galway Retail Park

       Wicklow

       Ashbourne

       Arklow

       Other locations

       Carlow

       Clonmel

       Navan

       Limerick

       Dundalk

       Newbridge

       Killarney

       Dungarvan

       Wexford

       Mullingar

       Letterkenny

       Castlebar