High street retail giant Gap has announced it will be closing all stores in the UK and Ireland by the end of 2021. The company said it intends to take its business online “in a phased manner” from the end of August through to the end of September this year. It added it would provide “support and transition assistance” to colleagues following the closures, though did not specify how many employees had been affected. The retailer has been active in the UK since 1987 and has had stores in the Republic of Ireland since 2006. There are a total of 81 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland, according to the Gap online store-finder. The announcement comes following a strategic review aimed at “finding new, more cost-effective ways to maintain a presence and serve customers in Europe.” In a statement, Gap said: “In the United Kingdom and Europe, we …