River Island has officially announced the closure dates for 27 of its stores within this month. The fashion retailer previously disclosed plans to shutter 33 stores following approval for a major restructure by the High Court.
Included in the initial list of 33 stores were branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees, all of which closed during the final months of 2025. River Island has now made public the closing dates for the additional 27 stores, all scheduled to cease operations in late January. However, closure dates for stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria, have yet to be finalized.
As part of its restructuring efforts, River Island is also reducing rents at 71 other stores. At the time of the court hearing in August of this year, the clothing chain had a total of 223 stores across the UK and Ireland.
The company faced financial challenges, posting a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year, with a 15% decrease in turnover to £578.1 million. River Island’s legal representative, Matthew Weaver KC, highlighted the company’s struggle to reverse its financial downturn, attributing it to declining footfall and sales in a fiercely competitive and evolving retail landscape, as well as the shift towards online shopping.
Ben Lewis, the CEO of River Island, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior towards online shopping and the rising operational costs that have impacted the company’s store portfolio. He emphasized the importance of a restructuring plan to ensure the long-term success of the business, expressing regret over potential job losses due to store closures and a commitment to minimizing them.