River Island and Primark are among the major retailers that have revealed plans to shut down stores in January 2026.
In the previous year, 54 retailers collapsed, leading to the closure of 3,080 stores and the loss of 30,153 jobs, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported a 0.1% decrease in retail sales volumes in November.
River Island is set to close at least 27 stores this month as part of a restructuring effort, with 33 stores already closed, including branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees. Additional closures in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria are pending confirmation.
Poundland is slated to shut down 12 stores in January following a High Court-approved reorganization. The discount store had closed 57 stores by September last year after being acquired for £1 by investment firm Gordon Brothers.
Primark closed its Dartford store on January 3 due to significant building repair needs, marking its first closure in over a decade. Philippa Nibbs, Primark’s director of sales for UK South and South East, cited the necessary extensive repairs and proximity to other stores as reasons for the closure.
Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland, all part of Lloyds Banking Group, are closing a total of 34 branches this month, including 17 Lloyds branches, eight Halifax sites, and nine Bank of Scotland locations, attributing the closures to the increasing trend of online banking usage.
The closures are part of the companies’ strategy to adapt to changing consumer behaviors and market conditions.
