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River Island Names 33 UK Stores Shutting This Month Under Court-Approved Restructure

The move follows High Court approval of a cost-cutting plan responding to sustained declines in store traffic.

Overview

  • Local outlets published the full list of 33 closures scheduled by the end of January, including sites in Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Brighton, Perth and a Birmingham branch.
  • River Island is executing a rescue plan that also seeks rent reductions and debt write-downs across a further 71 locations.
  • In court filings, the retailer cited falling footfall and sales, a shift toward online shopping, supply-chain disruption and rising energy and labour costs.
  • The company says it aims to secure the business’s future and will try to keep redundancies to a minimum, with staff redeployment where possible.
  • Some branches shut in late 2025 as part of the transition, and local reporting includes specific dates such as a January 24 closure for St Helens.