A map shows which River Island stores will be closing across the UK in the next seven weeks. The high street brand will close 33 stores following financial woes, as a restructuring plan was approved by the High Court in August. There are currently more than 200 River Island stores across the UK. It will also result in rent reductions, and debt will be written off for 71 stores.
Ben Lewis, CEO of River Island, said: "We have a clear transformation strategy to ensure the long-term viability of the business, and this decision gives us a strong platform to deliver this." A map shows which stores are set to close, including River Island branches in major cities like Manchester and London. Mr Lewis blamed a sharp increase in business costs for recent losses.
Here are the River Island stores that are set to close across the UK in the coming weeks:
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Bangor Bloomfield, Northern Ireland
Barnstaple, Devon
Beckton, Greater London
Brighton, East Sussex
Burton-Upon-Trent, Derbyshire
Cumbernauld, Scotland
Didcot, Oxfordshire
Edinburgh Princes Street, Scotland
Falkirk, Scotland
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Great Yarmouth
Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Hanley, Staffordshire
Hartlepool, County Durham
Hereford, Herefordshire
Kilmarnock, Scotland
Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Leeds Birstall Park, West Yorkshire
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Northwich, Cheshire
Norwich, Norfolk
Oxford, Oxfordshire
Perth, Scotland
Poole, Dorset
Rochdale, Greater Manchester
St Helens, Merseyside
Stockton On Tees, County Durham
Surrey Quays, Greater London
Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
Taunton, Somerset
Workington, Cumbria
Wrexham, Wales
They are displayed in the map below.
Mr Lewis added: "Recent improvements in our fashion offer and shopping experience are starting to show results, and the restructuring plan will enable us to align our store estate to our customers' needs. We are grateful to our suppliers, landlords and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and shared confidence in River Island's future."
He added that a rise in online shopping had left the business with "a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers' needs".
In 2023, River Island made a £33.2m pre-tax loss, which almost doubled to £64m in 2024. Matthew Weaver KC, for River Island, told a hearing in August: "A number of geopolitical events have also resulted in continuing supply chain disruption, which, together with energy, labour and other price increases, has resulted in a cost base that's too high and unsustainable at its current level."
