River Island collapse: UK fashion brand 'on brink' with 33 stores closing and jobs at risk - full locations

• Iconic UK fashion chain River Island is at risk of collapse without creditor support
• 33 stores are set to close by January 2026 – full list of locations revealed below
• The brand is seeking rent cuts, debt write-offs, and an emergency loan to survive
• Hundreds of jobs are at risk as the retailer battles falling sales and rising costs
• Online store and remaining branches continue trading while rescue plan is decided

The future of a beloved high street name is in doubt after several key landlords rejected a proposed rescue deal that could have avoided store closures and the loss of hundreds of jobs.

River Island had asked creditors to support a sweeping turnaround plan involving the closure of 33 stores, rent reductions on 71 others — with some landlords receiving no rent at all — and the writing off of certain debts, including unpaid business rates, in a bid to cut costs.

While around 80% of creditors by value backed the plan in a court-supervised vote last week, River Island failed to secure the required 75% approval within every individual creditor group.

The plan’s fate now rests with a High Court judge, who will consider whether it delivers a fair outcome overall at a sanction hearing on Thursday, August 7.

The judge will weigh the support from most creditors against objections from dissenting landlords and other groups.

River Island is struggling under the weight of falling sales, rising debts, and fierce competition from fast fashion rivals. Stores in cities like Brighton, Oxford, Norwich, and Leeds are among those at risk.

But the impact could go further than job losses and shuttered shops – the entire River Island brand may disappear altogether.

The loss of River Island would mark the end of an era for generations of shoppers who have relied on it for affordable, on-trend fashion.

Why is River Island struggling?

Once a cornerstone of British high streets, River Island has been hammered by a perfect storm of rising costs, falling footfall, and online-only rivals offering fashion at rock-bottom prices.

Chief executive Ben Lewis recently admitted that the company’s physical footprint – with over 200 stores across the UK – was no longer in line with how customers shop, with a “well-documented migration from the high street to online” forcing a major rethink.

Accounts published earlier this year show the retailer made a £33.2 million pre-tax loss, with revenue dropping by 19% to £578.1 million.

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Which River Island stores are closing?

33 River Island stores are set to close, The affected shops are expected to remain open until January 2026, allowing the retailer to capitalise on peak trading before shutting their doors for good.

The following River Island stores are earmarked for closure:

• Aylesbury
• Bangor, Bloomfield
• Barnstaple
• Beckton
• Brighton
• Burton-upon-Trent
• Cumbernauld
• Didcot
• Edinburgh, Princes Street
• Falkirk
• Gloucester
• Great Yarmouth
• Grimsby
• Hanley
• Hartlepool
• Hereford
• Kilmarnock
• Kirkcaldy
• Leeds, Birstall Park
• Lisburn
• Northwich
• Norwich
• Oxford
• Perth
• Poole
• Rochdale
• St Helens
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Surrey Quays
• Sutton Coldfield
• Taunton
• Workington
• Wrexham

Online shopping and other stores are still operating as normal, and customers can continue to shop and redeem gift cards for now.

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