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River Island Confirms 33 UK Store Closures for January as Restructuring Takes Effect

A court-approved restructuring aims to keep the chain out of administration through rent cuts with debt relief at dozens of sites.

Overview

  • The retailer published the full list of 33 branches that will shut before the end of January 2026 across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • The plan, approved by the High Court in August, imposes reduced rents with debt write-offs at 71 additional stores to stabilise the business.
  • River Island says 122 stores will continue trading, it operates roughly 223 locations overall, and no Irish outlets are included in the closures.
  • Management cites declining footfall, a shift to online shopping, supply-chain disruption and rising energy and labour costs for the retrenchment.
  • CEO Ben Lewis says the company will try to minimise job losses, with named closures including Oxford Westgate, Didcot, Poole and Edinburgh Princes Street.