Carpetright is to close seven stores in Ireland after sales in the country halved over the past three years.
A statement released by the company said: "Throughout this period Carpetright has sought to maintain the size of its Republic of Ireland operation, in anticipation of the hoped-for economic recovery. However, more than three years since the start of the downturn, and with no signs of a recovery yet in evidence, we have recently completed a review of the business to examine ways to improve its performance."

The result of the review is the closure of seven of the company's 25 Irish stores, with the loss of 19 jobs, although consultation with employees is said to be "ongoing".

The company blamed the "difficult but necessary decision" on declines in both customer footfall and sales volumes over the period, and said the store closures would put the business in a stronger position to await an economic recovery.