The UK electrical and furniture store Courts is closing its operations in Ireland after three years of losses. The company, which has stores at the Naas Road, the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and an electrical outlet at Arnotts in Henry Street, intends to withdraw from the Republic by mid-April. The company said it would consider selling the business as a going concern but a closure, with the loss of 150 jobs, was considered more likely. Staff at the three businesses were informed of the decision yesterday. In 1999 Courts Ireland is believed to have incurred losses of £2.6 million (#3.3 million) with figures for 2000, which are due at the end of March, expected to be even higher.

A spokesman blamed a high cost base, particularly the price of premises leases for some of its problems. The company also admits that its product offering in the Irish market hasn't worked and that advertising policy had not proved efficient.

The store, which provides credit facilities for customers purchasing furniture and electrical goods, will be writing to them to inform them of new arrangements with Courts UK expected to continue to honour these arrangements through its own credit facilities. A spokesman for Arnotts said it was working to provide a new electrical outlet for customers which was likely to be operated by the store rather than through a concession arrangement.

Courts is a well established brand in the UK with 100 stores and a further 200 in 20 countries worldwide. The company has been struggling in recent years though with group operating profits of around £1.7 million sterling (#2.7 million) last year. Its business tends to be broadly 70 per cent electrical and 30 per cent furniture, although in the Republic furniture was proportionately a larger part of its trade.

The company, which was founded by the Courts family 150 years ago, is quoted on the London Stock Exchange.