JOBS at the Limerick Homebase store are under threat after its owners, Hilco Capital announced it would close three Irish stores in 2019.
Hilco Capital, a British firm specialising in restructuring and refinancing other companies, acquired the struggling retail chain from Australian company Wesfarmers for £1 and last June said that it would close up to 60 stores in the UK with the loss of 1,000 jobs.
Today, Tuesday, August 14, Hilco announced that it would close 42 stores across the UK and Ireland.
30 people are employed at the Limerick branch.
300 jobs were lost at its Milton Keynes headquarters but Hilco, who also owns HMV, said that it was looking to turn around the fortunes of the retail chain that sold for £350million two years ago.
Homebase has 250 stores and a workforce of just over 11,000 people throughout its network
This Tuesday, the retailer said that its current store portfolio in the UK and Ireland is “no longer viable” due to unsustainable rental costs.
At the end of this month, creditors will vote on the proposals but it will be “business as usual” until then.
