Major UK high street chain to close 33 stores by January 2026 – full list

Another loss to the high street

Popular fashion store River Island says it will shut 33 stores by the end of next January in a move to save the high street brand.

The restructuring will see 33 out of the more than 250 locations in the UK close for good while 71 stores will see rent reductions and a sizeable amount of debt being written off.

However, 122 stores will be not be affected by the restructuring.

Ben Lewis, CEO of River Island, said: “We have a clear transformation strategy to ensure the long-term viability of the business, and this decision gives us a strong platform to deliver this.”

Lewis also noted: “Recent improvements in our fashion offer and shopping experience are starting to show results, and the restructuring plan will enable us to align our store estate to our customers' needs. 

“We are grateful to our suppliers, landlords and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and shared confidence in River Island's future.”

The news comes as the latest indication of the struggling UK high street and retail which has seen more and more shops shutting down.

Poundland, Revolution and Morrisons are just a few names which have announced restructuring, location sales or stores closing down this year.

Full list of stores:

• Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
• Bangor Bloomfield, Northern Ireland
• Barnstaple, Devon
• Beckton, Greater London
• Brighton, East Sussex
• Burton-Upon-Trent, Derbyshire
• Cumbernauld, Scotland
• Didcot, Oxfordshire
• Edinburgh Princes Street, Scotland
• Falkirk, Scotland
• Gloucester, Gloucestershire
• Great Yarmouth
• Grimsby, Lincolnshire
• Hanley, Staffordshire
• Hartlepool, County Durham
• Hereford, Herefordshire
• Kilmarnock, Scotland
• Kirkcaldy, Scotland
• Leeds Birstall Park, West Yorkshire
• Lisburn, Northern Ireland
• Northwich, Cheshire
• Norwich, Norfolk
• Oxford, Oxfordshire
• Perth, Scotland
• Poole, Dorset
• Rochdale, Greater Manchester
• St Helens, Merseyside
• Stockton On Tees, County Durham
• Surrey Quays, Greater London
• Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
• Taunton, Somerset
• Workington, Cumbria
• Wrexham, Wales