River Island has officially announced the scheduled closure dates for 27 of its stores within this month. The retailer, which has been facing challenges, had previously disclosed plans to shut down 33 stores following the approval of a restructure by the High Court.
Among the initial list of 33 stores set for closure were branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees, which ceased operations in the latter part of 2025. River Island has now confirmed that an additional 27 stores will be closing towards the end of January. Notably, stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria, are also marked for closure, although specific dates for these branches are still pending.
As part of its restructuring efforts, River Island is also reducing rents at 71 other stores. The fashion chain had a total of 223 stores across the UK and Ireland when its rescue plan went before the court in August of this year.
The company reported a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year, with turnover declining by 15% to £578.1 million. River Island’s legal representative, Matthew Weaver KC, noted the company’s ongoing financial challenges, attributing them to a decrease in foot traffic and sales due to the competitive retail landscape and the shift towards online shopping.
River Island’s CEO, Ben Lewis, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping and the rising operational costs, emphasizing the need for a strategic business transformation to ensure long-term sustainability. Despite the regrettable impact on jobs due to store closures, the company aims to minimize job losses as much as possible.