River Island has officially announced the closure dates for 27 of its stores within this month. The fashion retailer, facing challenges, had previously disclosed plans to shut down 33 stores following approval from the High Court for a major restructuring.
Among the original list of 33 stores, branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees were closed in late 2025. River Island has now revealed that 27 more stores will be closing by the end of January. The retailer is set to close stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria, but the 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. Prior to the court’s approval of its rescue plan in August, the clothing chain operated 223 stores across the UK and Ireland.
Recent financial reports show that River Island faced a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year, with a 15% decrease in turnover to £578.1 million. The company’s legal representative, Matthew Weaver KC, highlighted the challenges of declining footfall and sales in a competitive retail landscape shifting towards online shopping.
River Island’s CEO, Ben Lewis, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping and expressed the need to align the store portfolio with customer preferences. The company aims to transform its business strategy to ensure long-term viability, emphasizing positive outcomes from recent fashion improvements and in-store experiences.
While regretting potential job losses due to store closures, River Island is committed to minimizing the impact on its workforce.
