The British high street is set for another significant wave of closures in 2026, with several major retailers confirming plans to shut more than 100 branches. Well-known names including River Island, Poundland, and the charity Cancer Research UK are all downsizing their physical estates, citing rising costs and shifting consumer habits.
River Island Restructures Amid Heavy Losses
The fashion chain River Island will close 32 stores across the UK in January 2026 as part of a crucial restructuring plan approved by the High Court. The company, which currently operates over 200 shops and employs around 5,500 people, recorded a substantial loss of £33.2 million in 2023 after sales dropped by 19%.
Chief Executive Ben Lewis stated that while the brand remains "a much-loved" British retailer, the shift to online shopping has left it with "a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers' needs". He also pointed to a "sharp rise in the cost of doing business" in recent years. As part of the rescue deal, the company will also pay reduced rent on 71 other stores. The firm has said it will aim to redeploy staff where possible, but the restructure puts many jobs at risk.
The full list of River Island shops scheduled for closure in January 2026 is:
- 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
- Surrey Quays, Greater London
- Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire
- Taunton, Somerset
- Workington, Cumbria
- Wrexham, Wales
Poundland and Cancer Research Also Downsizing
The discount retailer Poundland is set to close an additional 32 stores by February 2026, bringing its total number of closures to 100. Stores earmarked for closure are already holding clearance sales with discounts of up to 40%. This follows the retailer's sale earlier in the year to investment fund Gordon Brothers for a nominal sum of just £1. The restructuring will see its UK portfolio shrink from roughly 800 stores to between 650 and 700.
Meanwhile, the charity Cancer Research UK has announced plans to shut around 90 of its shops by May 2026. The Sun reported that rising operating costs and changing consumer behaviour are behind the decision. This two-year process could lead to "up to 100 more" closures by April 2027, reducing its estate to about 320 stores. On a brighter note, the charity plans to open 12 new 'superstores' on retail parks by 2028.
Broader High Street Pressures
These closures reflect the intense pressure facing the UK retail sector. Many retailers have highlighted unsustainable operating costs, pointing to recent increases in employer national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. The burden of business rates is also frequently cited as a critical challenge.
Other retailers are also trimming their estates. The outdoor clothing chain Trespass, which has around 300 branches, will close its Southampton store on Above Bar Street on 9 March 2026, following closures in Watford and Buckinghamshire the previous year.
The collective action by these major high street names signals a continued reshaping of Britain's town centres, as businesses adapt to the relentless growth of online shopping and seek to manage spiralling physical store costs.
