ENNISKILLEN shoppers have been dealt another blow with the news that a highly-popular fashion chain will close its doors next month.

It is believed that Erneside Shopping Centre-based Monsoon will close on February 8 – news that will be highly disappointing for many across Fermanagh, with concerns also raised for the staff from the clothing shop, who were informed of the decision earlier this week and are understood to be shocked and disappointed.

The popular shop has been serving Enniskillen shoppers since 2005. It is believed that up to ten staff members, comprising both full- and part-time workers, will lose their jobs.

Monsoon and Accessorize operate in a large unit in the centre of Erneside Shopping Centre, with many of the staff working in the shop having been with it since it first opened in Enniskillen.

The closure marks the latest blow for Enniskillen shoppers in recent times. Almost a year ago in early 2021, the Arcadia group entered administration and was later sold to online site ASOS, with High Street brands Dorothy Perkins and Topshop closing their doors in Enniskillen.

This is not the first Monsoon branch to close recently. During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, 35 Monsoon branches were closed across the UK and Ireland, with more than 500 jobs lost.