River Island to close 33 stores across the UK

The British fashion chain is closing 33 stores as part of its restructuring. Four of them had already closed by the end of 2025 (Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, Stockton-on-Tees); the remainder follow between 18 and 31 January 2026. Background: a pre-tax loss of £33.2m for 2023 after sales fell 19% to £578.1m. Alongside the closures, rents were cut at 71 further stores (25–75% reductions at 38 stores, zero rent at 24). River Island operates around 230 shops and employs about 5,500 people. Update (31 Jan 2026): with the closure of the last eleven stores, including Beckton, on 31 January 2026, the announced round of closures is complete (Daily Post, 31 Jan 2026).