Thomas Cook to shut eight Northern Ireland shops

TRAVEL firm Thomas Cook is closing eight of its 18 stores across Northern Ireland, the company has announced.

The shutters are come down on branches at Antrim, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Limavady, Newtownbreda, Strabane and Newry.

Six are those shops trade under the Co-Operative Travel name and two under Thomas Cook.

It will result in the loss of 45 jobs.

It comes as the travel company announces 195 store closures across the UK, after entering a 90-day consultation process to transform its operations over the next three years.

“As a large retailer we regularly review our network to make sure we have the right stores in the right places for our customers and regrettably there are occasions where we need to close certain branches,” said Managing Director Joanna Wild.

“Following careful consideration, we have announced that eight stores are proposed to close in the Northern Ireland region and we are working with those colleagues who are affected.

“We’d like to thank both our colleagues and customers for the commitment and understanding during this process.

“Our high street stores are a popular way for customers to book with us and are an essential part of our multi-channel approach alongside our websites and sales centres.”

Thomas Cook has 1,069 stores in the UK, making it the largest high street travel retailer.

The company recently shut 186 stores, and the latest cuts will bring the total number of outlets to 874.