A Tipperary town is left reeling after another bombshell business blow to the town centre

Fashion retail giant New Look has announced that they will be closing their Clonmel store as part of their nationwide shut down.

The company has 26 stores in the Republic of Ireland and employs 347 staff.
There are six stores in Dublin, four in Cork, two in Galway, two in Wicklow, one in Carlow, Navan, Limerick, Dundalk, Newbridge, Killarney, Dungarvan, Wexford, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Castlebar.
 

In a statement released on Thursday, New Look said they have “sought the appointment of provisional liquidators as it seeks to wind down its Irish operations following several years of sustained losses and challenging market conditions”.
The retailer said that staff were notified immediately and further staff engagement is planned over the coming days.

The statement added: “Regrettably, a collective redundancy process, impacting all colleagues in the ROI is also envisaged.”
New Look said the decision was not taken lightly, however its Irish operation has “struggled for some years” with supply-chain and in-market costs as well as squeezed consumer spending. 

The statement said: “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. The Group will refocus investment on its UK business and its digital offering.”

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A New Look spokesperson added: “Over the past few years, we have had to navigate a tough external environment which has only become more unpredictable. We have adapted to this evolving landscape by investing in our product proposition and digital offer. However, 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. “Our Irish business has struggled for many years due to rising costs and squeezed consumer spending, despite our efforts to turnaround the performance. Our focus now is on supporting our colleagues through this process. We remain confident in the UK market and take pride in offering our customers great-value, high-quality fashion,” concluded the company statement.

County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce voiced their concern over the loss of another business in the town centre of Clonmel.
“Another Clonmel business shutting its doors within a week—this is not just a coincidence, it’s a crisis. The closure of New Look follows closely after O’Keeffe’s, sending a clear and urgent message: businesses in our towns are struggling to survive. Retailers and hospitality businesses are being hit from all sides—soaring operational costs, staff shortages, and shifting consumer habits. If this continues, Clonmel and towns across Tipperary will face an economic downturn that will be incredibly difficult to recover from.

“These closures are not just about losing shops or nightclubs—they represent lost jobs, lost footfall, and lost confidence in the local economy.

“Each closure makes it harder for the next business to keep going, and if urgent action isn’t taken, we’ll see more shutters coming down. County Tipperary Chamber has already engaged with the staff affected by New Look’s closure and will be providing upskilling support to help them find new opportunities.”

“But businesses should not be in a position where survival feels impossible. We are calling on policymakers to step up with immediate and meaningful action to ease the burden on businesses before more jobs are lost.
“We stand with our local business community and will continue to fight for the supports needed to keep Clonmel and Tipperary open for business,” said Michelle Aylward, CEO of County Tipperary Chamber.