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River Island to Close 18 More Stores This Month in Two‑Phase Restructure

The retailer cites a court‑approved overhaul to realign the business following a 19% sales drop.

Overview

  • Six shops will shut on January 24 and a further 12 on January 31, taking January’s total to 27 closures after nine already shut earlier in the month.
  • River Island reported a £32.3 million pre‑tax loss in its latest accounts, with the CEO saying many stores no longer align with customer habits.
  • The store exits are part of a restructuring plan approved by the High Court in August 2025, when the company outlined an initial programme of 33 closures.
  • Earlier steps included about 110 head‑office redundancies, expected to save roughly £8.1 million.
  • The retrenchment reflects wider pressures on UK retail, with 54 retailer failures last year costing 3,080 stores and 30,153 jobs, according to the Centre for Retail Research.