High street giant Debenhams has announced it will axe 2,500 jobs across warehouses and stores as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fashion, beauty and furniture brand said the news will affect roles across the entire brand, with the chain preparing for more closures.
The cuts are being made in a bid to keep the business afloat, following the severe impact of the coronavirus on retail.
A spokesman for Debenhams said of the planned 2,500 job cuts: "We have successfully reopened 124 stores, post-lockdown, and these are currently trading ahead of management expectations.
"At the same time, the trading environment is clearly a long way from returning to normal and we have to ensure our store costs are aligned with realistic expectations.
"Those colleagues affected by redundancy have been informed and we are very grateful to them for their service and commitment to Debenhams.
"Such difficult decisions are being taken by many retailers right now, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to give Debenhams every chance of a viable future."
The business previously said it would close stores where it was unable to renegotiate lower tenancy fees.
The announcement comes just months after the company revealed it had gone into administration for the second time this year, placing a question mark on more than 22,000 jobs.
The firm has appointed administrators from the FRP Advisory to oversee the process, which has already resulted in the closure of all stores in Ireland.
