River Island set to shut 11 stores this weekend – full list

The fashion retailer currently has more than 200 stores across the UK and Ireland and employs around 5,500 people.

However, River Island revealed in August last year that it was preparing to close 33 stores as part of a restructuring plan (which was approved by the High Court).

The restructuring plan is aimed at preventing River Island from collapsing into administration and comes after a decline in footfall and sales.

UK high street shops that no longer exist

Along with the closures, River Island will also pay reduced rent at a further 71 shops.

Full list of the River Island stores closing this weekend

River Island closed four of the 33 branches listed in the restructuring plan at the back end of last year. These stores were:

• Brighton
• Edinburgh Princes Street
• Great Yarmouth
• Stockton-on-Tees

A further 16 shops have already shut during January:

January 18

• Aylesbury
• Birstall Shopping Park (Leeds)
• Burton upon Trent
• Lisburn
• Perth
• Surrey Quays
• Sutton Coldfield
• Taunton
• Wrexham

January 24

• Bangor Bloomfield
• Cumbernauld
• Hanley
• Hartlepool
• Kilmarnock
• Northwich
• St Helens

The rest of the River Island closures, announced so far, will take place on Saturday (January 31):

• Barnstaple
• Beckton
• Didcot
• Falkirk
• Gloucester
• Grimsby
• Hereford
• Kirkcaldy
• Oxford
• Poole
• Rochdale

Closure dates for Norwich and Workington are yet to be confirmed.

River Island chief executive, Ben Lewis, previously 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.”

Rocky start to 2026 for UK high street

It has been a rocky start to 2026 for the UK high street, with several retailers entering administration and others announcing wide spread store closures.

Major high street retailers, including Primark and Poundland, have been forced to close stores already in 2026.

Revolution owners The Revel Collective also closed 21 bars across the UK on Tuesday (January 27) after falling into administration, resulting in the loss of 591 jobs.

Tesco also announced this week that it will be axing 380 jobs in stores across the UK as a result of proposed business changes.

Meanwhile, Russell & Bromley announced last week that it had entered administration.

Despite the British shoe retailer being purchased by Next, 33 stores remain at risk of closing.

UK travel companies Regen Central Ltd and Gold Crest Holidays have also ceased trading in January, impacting travellers across the UK.

UK kitchen retailer Moores also entered administration recently, resulting in the loss of 124 jobs.

Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop went into administration for the second time in a matter of months earlier this week.

Insolvency practitioners from Kroll were appointed on Monday (January 26) to handle the process, as more than a thousand high street jobs are now at risk.

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Claire’s first went into administration last year after its former US parent company went bankrupt, before being saved by investment firm Modella Capital.

Modella bought more than 150 Claire’s shops last year, but 145 were not included in the deal, leading to their closure.

Now the remaining sites may follow.