Overview
- Poundland was sold for £1 to Gordon Brothers, began by closing 57 shops and is set to have shut more than 100 by early 2026 as it trims its estate to 650–700 stores.
- WH Smith offloaded its UK high-street shops to Modella Capital, which plans a TGJones rebrand, while WH Smith concentrates on travel locations and about 20 high-street sites shut.
- Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in operator entered administration, prompting 68 restaurant closures and 11 delivery shutdowns, with Yum! Brands buying the remaining operation to save 64 sites.
- Claire’s UK arm went into administration, with 156 stores rescued by Modella Capital while 145 locations closed, affecting roughly 1,000 jobs.
- Other notable retrenchments included Bodycare closing about 150 stores, Homebase shutting 65 early in the year, Leon planning around 20 closures, River Island cutting 33, and selected site reductions at New Look, Starbucks, Brewdog and Fired Earth.