River Island is set to shut another 18 shops across the UK over the next two weeks, as the fashion retailer pushes ahead with a restructuring programme it says is vital to securing its long‑term future.
The closures will take place in two phases before the end of the month, with six branches shutting on January 24 and a further 12 following on January 31.
The latest round of closures means 27 stores will have disappeared by the end of January, after nine branches were already lost earlier this month.
Locations span the length of the country, from Scotland down to the south coast, reflecting the scale of the retailer’s retreat from the high street.
River Island has repeatedly warned that the business faced the risk of administration without significant changes to its store estate.
The closures form part of a High Court‑approved restructuring plan confirmed in August 2025, when the company announced that 33 stores would shut as it attempted to stabilise operations amid falling sales and rising costs.
Company accounts published last year revealed a £32.3million pre‑tax loss and a 19 per cent drop in sales, underlining the pressures that have built up across the business.
Chief executive Ben Lewis said a large number of stores were no longer aligned with customer needs, adding that the brand’s transformation strategy was designed to protect its long‑term viability.
Fashion chain to shut 18 more shops within weeks
|
GETTY
He insisted that recent improvements to fashion ranges and the overall shopping experience were beginning to deliver positive results.
These latest closures come on top of four branches that shut at the end of last year — Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth and Stockton‑on‑Tees — and reflect what the retailer describes as rapidly shifting shopping habits combined with rising operating costs.
The challenges mirror those faced by many high street chains, with banks, clothing brands and discount retailers including Poundland also reducing their physical footprint.
Is your local River Island shutting down? | GETTY
When the restructuring plan was first announced, around 110 head office roles were made redundant, reducing the workforce from approximately 950 positions and delivering expected savings of £8.1million.
Those job losses followed a further 100 redundancies in January 2025, as the business sought to streamline operations while safeguarding more than 140 stores nationwide and protecting thousands of jobs.
The wider retail sector endured a punishing year, with more than 54 retailers collapsing across Britain according to the Centre for Retail Research.
The organisation reported that 3,080 stores were lost and 30,153 employees were left without jobs, highlighting the scale of the pressures reshaping the high street.
Full list of closures
January 24
- Bangor Bloomfield
- Cumbernauld
- Hartlepool
- Kilmarnock
- Northwich
- St Helens
January 31
Oxford’s store will close
|
GETTY
- Falkirk
- Gloucester
- Grimsby
- Hanley
- Hereford
- Kirkcaldy
- Oxford
- Poole
- Rochdale
