River Island has confirmed which of its 230 shops will close as part of a major restructure to try and save the business.
The fashion retailer announced last week that it will close its least profitable 33 branches across the UK after making a loss of £33.2milion in 2023.
Hundreds of jobs are at risk as the brand plans to close 33 shops by January of next year – but there are another 71 branches at risk if River Island is unable to renegotiate rents with its landlords.
The brand’s owners blamed shoppers buying online instead of on the high street, as well as the increasing cost of running physical stores, for the slump in trading.
The family-owned retailer, which was founded in 1948, has brought in advisers to oversee the restructure process.
Those owed money by River Island will vote on the restructure plan in August, which if approved will lead to new funding being invested into the business.
The restructure comes after a redundancy programme was brought in at its head office in London in January to try and save some cash.
River Island did not confirm how many people were made redundant out of its 5,500 staff nationwide.
Speaking last week, CEO Ben Lewis said: ‘River Island is a much-loved retailer, with a decades-long history on the British high street.
‘However the well-documented migration of shoppers from the high street to online has left the business with a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers’ needs.
‘The sharp rise in the cost of doing business over the last few years has only added to the financial burden.
Full list of River Island branches set to close by January 2026
Fashion publication Drapers has published a list of the 33 River Island branches set to close:
- Beckton
- Bangor Bloomfield
- Wrexham
- Edinburgh Princes Street
- Hereford
- Surrey Quays
- Didcot
- Sutton Coldfield
- Aylesbury
- Burton-Upon-Trent
- Northwich
- Taunton
- Workington
- Falkirk
- Cumbernauld
- Kirkcaldy
- Gloucester
- Hartlepool
- Brighton
- Lisburn
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Poole
- Kilmarnock
- Hanley
- Barnstaple
- Grimsby
- Leeds Birstall Park
- Rochdale
- Great Yarmouth
- St Helens
- Stockton On Tees
- Perth
‘We have a clear strategy to transform the business to ensure its long-term viability.
‘Recent improvements in our fashion offer and in-store shopping experience are already showing very positive results, but it is only with a restructuring plan that we will be able to see this strategy through and secure River Island’s future as a profitable retail business.
‘We regret any job losses as a result of store closures, and we will try to keep these to a minimum.’
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