River Island has officially announced the scheduled closure dates for 27 of its stores this month. The fashion retailer, which had previously disclosed plans to close 33 stores following approval for a major restructure by the High Court, has already shut down branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees in late 2025.
The remaining 27 stores are set to close by the end of January, with closures also planned for the Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria locations, for which specific dates are pending confirmation. In addition to store closures, River Island is implementing rent reductions at 71 other shops as part of its restructuring efforts. Before the court hearing in August, the clothing chain operated 223 stores across the UK and Ireland.
The company faced financial challenges, reporting a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year with a 15% decline in turnover to £578.1 million. River Island’s legal representative, Matthew Weaver KC, attributed the financial struggles to decreased footfall and sales amid a highly competitive retail landscape and a shift towards online shopping.
River Island’s CEO, Ben Lewis, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior and emphasized the need to realign the store portfolio with customer preferences. Lewis highlighted the rising operational costs and outlined a strategy to transform the business for long-term sustainability. Despite the store closures leading to potential job losses, efforts will be made to minimize the impact on employees.