THE BARRATTS CHAIN of shoe stores has announced it is closing all its Irish concessions, with the loss of 36 jobs.

The closures are part of wider measures across the UK-based Barratts Priceless Group, which is in administration. Some 1,610 people are being made redundant across the chain as its concession business is shut down.

Concessions are outlets within larger stores, such as department stores. Barratts has nine concessions in Ireland – in Galway, Blanchardstown, Cork, Limerick, Dublin, Mullingar, Killarney, Dundalk and Drogheda.

The chain’s stand-alone high street stores are unaffected by the move.

Administrator Daniel Butters of Deloitte said the move had come after it had proved impossible to find a buyer for the concession business. He said:

Accordingly, the Joint Administrators have regretfully had to make approximately 1,610 Barratts Priceless Group full and part time employees working in the various concessions redundant.

It is hoped that “a significant part” of the remaining business can be rescued so that staff can keep their jobs, the administrators said in a statement.