Hundreds of jobs are expected to be lost at Arnotts on Henry Street in Dublin when a three-year redevelopment programme for the store and the wider area begins in September.
A company spokesman declined to comment on any redundancies at the flagship store, which employs 950. It described as 'speculative' the figure of 400 job losses quoted in today's Irish Independent.
He said the company was finalising the operational plans for the development of the €1 billion retail/hotel and residential Northern Quarter, which it is building in the area surrounding Arnotts.
Arnotts says that when plans are finalised they would be communicated to staff.
A redundancy programme at Arnotts is seen by the retail sector as inevitable given the level of disruption involved during construction.
Arnotts currently employs 950 people and ultimately aims to employ 1,200 when the three year redevelopment is completed. A further 3,800 people will be employed in the wider redeveloped Northern Quarter.
