River Island store closure locations revealed

On Friday (20 June), River Island outlined plans to shut 33 shops and cut back rents at one other 71 outlets in a proper restructuring plan.

The restructuring plan will probably be put to collectors in August and must be sanctioned by the Excessive Courtroom. If permitted, River Island will obtain new funding to assist the technique. The retailer at the moment operates 230 shops throughout the UK, with 97 websites not impacted by the restructuring plan.

In a letter submitted to the courtroom and seen by Drapers, River Island has divided the remainder of its UK retailer portfolio into seven lessons A, B1-4 and C1-2.

The retailer is proposing hire cuts of between 25% and 75% for 36 months for 38 shops below class B1 to B4. Additionally it is hoping to maneuver 24 shops in C1 into zero hire. Landlords for 9 class A shops are set to obtain full hire below the proposed plan.

The enterprise is re-negotiating the lease phrases with the landlords of those 71 websites.

The 33 shops below class C2, that are both shedding cash or producing a marginal revenue, are scheduled to shut earlier than 18 January 2026.

These places are “now not the place the group clients store” and protecting them open “diverts sources that are wanted for the group to return to revenue shortly”, the corporate stated.

River Island is delaying the closures till January 2026 “to permit the group to learn from peak buying and selling throughout” and to “re-align the inventory place” as merchandise have already been deliberate for its current portfolio.

The restructuring plan doesn’t have an effect on commerce collectors, head workplace workers or clients.

Ben Lewis, CEO of River Island, stated final week: “River Island is a much-loved retailer, with a decades-long historical past on the British excessive road. Nonetheless the well-documented migration of customers from the excessive road to on-line has left the enterprise with a big portfolio of shops that’s now not aligned to our clients’ wants. The sharp rise in the price of doing enterprise over the previous couple of years has solely added to the monetary burden.

“We’ve got a transparent technique to rework the enterprise to make sure its long-term viability. Current enhancements in our trend supply and in-store purchasing expertise are already exhibiting very constructive outcomes, however it’s only with a restructuring plan that we can see this technique via and safe River Island’s future as a worthwhile retail enterprise. We remorse any job losses because of retailer closures, and we’ll attempt to hold these to a minimal.”

River Island has been contacted for remark.