The UK's high streets are facing a brutal start to 2026, with a wave of store closures hitting major retailers including River Island, Primark, and Poundland. This follows a devastating year for the sector, which saw thousands of shops disappear for good.
A Bleak Backdrop for Retail
The scale of the challenge is stark. According to the Centre for Retail Research, 54 retailers collapsed in 2025, leading to the loss of 3,080 stores and 30,153 jobs. This decline is reflected in official data, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting a 0.1% dip in retail sales volumes for November.
Major Fashion Chain Slashes Portfolio
Fashion retailer River Island is pressing ahead with a significant restructuring plan, closing at least 27 stores during January 2026. This is part of a wider strategy to shut 33 locations in total, with branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees having already closed in late 2025.
The confirmed closures for this month include:
- Aylesbury – January 18
- Bangor Bloomfield – January 24
- Barnstaple – January 31
- Beckton – January 31
- Burton upon Trent – January 18
- Cumbernauld – January 24
- Didcot – January 31
- Falkirk – January 31
- Gloucester – January 31
- Grimsby – January 31
- Hanley – January 24
- Hartlepool – January 24
- Hereford – January 31
- Kilmarnock – January 24
- Kirkcaldy – January 31
- Leeds Birstall Park – January 18
- Lisburn – January 18
- Northwich – January 24
- Oxford – January 31
- Perth – January 18
- Poole – January 31
- Rochdale – January 31
- St Helens – January 24
- Surrey Quays – January 18
- Sutton Coldfield – January 18
- Taunton – January 18
- Wrexham – January 18
Closures in Norwich and Workington are still pending confirmed dates.
Discount Chain and Banking Giants Follow Suit
Poundland is also reducing its footprint, with 12 shops scheduled to shut in January. This follows a High Court-approved restructure that has already seen 57 stores close by September 2025, after the chain was sold to investment firm Gordon Brothers for just £1. Key closures include shops in Bexhill, Kilmarnock, Liverpool, Yeovil, and Bristol.
In a significant move for the high street, Primark closed its Dartford store on January 3. The company stated this was due to the building requiring extensive repairs, making continued operation unviable given the proximity of two other Primark stores. Philippa Nibbs, Primark’s director of sales for UK South and South East, confirmed that over half of the affected staff would transfer to nearby shops.
The shift to digital banking is also reshaping town centres. Lloyds Banking Group will close 34 branches across its Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland networks this month. The group attributes the move to the increasing use of online banking services. The closures comprise 17 Lloyds branches, eight Halifax sites, and nine Bank of Scotland branches, affecting communities from Penzance to Perth.
This concentrated wave of January closures underscores the profound structural challenges facing physical retail and high street services. With consumer habits evolving and operational costs rising, the landscape of Britain's town centres continues to transform at a rapid pace.
