River Island UK: fashion retailer to cut jobs and reduce shop rents, is it closing down, store closures - news

• River Island plans to cut over 200 jobs this year, including 110 at head office
• The retailer has gained High Court approval for a wider restructuring plan
• 33 UK stores are set to close, while 62 stores will see rent reductions or zero rent
• Rent cuts aim to reduce costs, keep stores open, and allow for potential promotions
• Shoppers may see closures at some locations, but many stores will remain operational

An ailing fashion retailer is set to reduce its workforce by more than 200 roles this year, as it navigates a major restructuring plan aimed at cutting costs and shoring up its high street presence.

The latest round of redundancies at River Island, reported by Drapers, involves 110 head office employees, though details on which departments are affected remain unclear.

It follows an earlier wave of job cuts in January, when roughly 100 staff across buying, merchandising, and HR roles were let go.

The changes come as River Island gains High Court approval for its wider restructuring, which includes the closure of 33 UK stores and significant rent reductions across many others.

The retailer plans to slash rents for 62 stores - 38 will receive discounts ranging from 25% to 75% for the next three years, and 24 will benefit from zero rent. Nine stores will retain their full rent.

But what exactly do the rent reductions mean for shoppers, and will they lead to full store closures in the long run? Here is everything you need to know about it.

What are rent reductions?

Retail landlords and tenants often renegotiate leases when stores are underperforming or when the market is tough.

The goal for the retailer is simple: reduce fixed costs so stores can stay open and generate enough profit to justify their presence on the high street.

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A rent reduction can take several forms. In River Island’s case, 25–75% rent discounts will be applied on certain stores for 36 months. These stores will continue operating as normal, paying the reduced rent during that period.

Other River Island stores will pay nothing in rent for a set time. In this situation, the landlord effectively absorbs the cost, hoping the store will recover and remain a viable tenant.

Which stores are affected?

Locations benefiting from rent reductions include Liverpool Church Street, Llandudno, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southampton, and Worcester.

Zero-rent stores include Barnsley Cortonwood, Bristol Longwell Green, Bromley, Edinburgh Gyle, Swansea Oxford Street, Wigan, and Wolverhampton. Here’s a full list of affected stores:

Stores facing rent cuts:

• Altrincham
• Bexleyheath
• Biggleswade retail park
• Birmingham Fort
• Bournemouth Commercial
• Bracknell
• Bradford
• Canterbury
• Carlisle
• Cheltenham
• Chester Coliseum retail park
• Craigavon
• Doncaster
• Dudley Merryhill
• Durham Arnison centre
• Eastbourne Inverness retail park
• Liverpool Church Street
• Llandudno
• Magherafelt
• Maidstone
• Mansfield
• Milton Keynes
• Milton Keynes shopping park
• Newry
• Northampton
• Oldham
• Park House (Oxford Street)
• Preston Fishergate
• Reading
• Rugby
• South Shields
• Southampton
• Stafford
• Sunderland
• Thurrock
• Watford
• Worcester

Stores switching to zero rent:

• Barnsley Cortonwood
• Basingstoke
• Birkenhead
• Blackburn
• Bristol Longwell Green
• Bromley
• East Kilbride
• Edinburgh Gyle
• Enniskillen
• Halifax
• Huddersfield
• Middlesbrough
• Newport Friars
• Newtownards
• Omagh
• Southend
• Stirling
• Swansea Oxford Street
• Wakefield
• Walthamstow
• Wandsworth
• Wigan
• Windsor
• Wolverhampton

Are these stores at risk of closure?

For shoppers, rent reductions don’t automatically mean closures, and they are in fact designed to prevent struggling locations from closing.

In some cases, lower overheads may free up cash to run more promotions and sales, offer discounts, or stock more seasonal items.

Some stores may even invest in new layouts or products, knowing the financial pressure has eased temporarily.

But a rent reduction doesn’t mean the affected store is out of the woods just yet, and some may still close if the reductions aren’t enough to make them profitable.

Which River Island stores will close?

Amongst all the news of job cuts and rent reductions, it’s worth remembering that 33 River Island stores that were previously announced as closing are still set to shut their doors for good.

The affected shops are expected to remain open until January 2026, allowing the retailer to capitalise on peak trading.

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.

Keep up-to-date with the latest on River Island’s high street struggles with Yorkshire Post and NationalWorld.