River Island has officially announced the closure dates for 27 of its stores scheduled for this month. The decision to close these stores comes after the fashion retailer revealed its plan to shut down a total of 33 stores following approval from the High Court for a major restructure.
Among the initial list of stores set for closure were branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees, which ceased operations in late 2025. River Island has now disclosed that an additional 27 stores will be closing by the end of January. Although the retailer plans to shut down stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria, the exact closure dates for these locations are yet to be confirmed.
As part of its restructuring efforts, River Island is also reducing rents at 71 other shops. The clothing chain, which had 223 stores in the UK and Ireland at the time of its court-approved rescue plan in August, is taking these measures due to financial challenges. The company reported a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year, with turnover dropping by 15% to £578.1 million.
The decline in footfall and sales, attributed to the competitive retail landscape and the shift towards online shopping, has been cited as reasons for River Island’s financial struggles. Ben Lewis, the chief executive, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior and emphasized the need for a strategic transformation to align with evolving customer preferences and ensure long-term profitability. Despite the regrettable job losses resulting from store closures, River Island aims to minimize the impact on its workforce.