A-Wear to reopen more stores

Irish womenswear retailer A-Wear, which fell into receivership last month, is planning to reopen more stores next week to add to the outlets that were allowed to continue trading. Receiver Ken Fennell, of Kavanagh Fennell,

who worked to keep Blanchardstown, Dundrum, Grafton Street in Dublin and Sligo open after the trouble fashion chain collapsed, is looking to have another five or six stores open next week. No decision has been made on which stores will reopen, but it does show promise that a rescue plan is in the works.

The fashion retailer’s website remains offline, with a notice reading: “Due to unforeseen circumstances this site is currently offline.” There has been no word from the receiver about whether the site would begin trading again.

The receiver did state that A-Wear would honour gift cards and vouchers issued after October 8, when the retailer entered examinership, and that customers would be allowed to use them up to Christmas Eve.

A-Wear looking to reopen five or six stores

A-Wear has 31 stores across Ireland, as well as operating 9 concessions in House of Fraser stores in the UK. The fashion chain employs more than 350 people across it stores and in its head office in Dublin.

This isn’t the first time the chain has entered into administration, in 2011 the retailer was bought out of receivership by Hilco in 2011 and subsequently sold to the Lebanese-Canadian Jesta retailing group. The group explained in an insolvency hearing that it blames its current difficulties on high rents, with rent on its Grafton Street store in central Dublin accounting for 28 percent of the company’s revenue.

The survival of the womenswear retailer is going to dependant on negotiating lower rents with its landlords; however the receiver Fennell said that it was “inevitable” that some of A-Wear’s 31 stores would close.

Image: A-Wear Christmas collection