British fashion retailer closing 32 branches in 2026 — full list of affected locations
Hundreds of stores are set to close in 2026, including popular fashion retailers and high street jewellery shops.
UK fashion brand River Island has closed a total of 32 stores this year as part of a restructuring plan following a £32.3million pre-tax loss. River Island’s CEO, Ben Lewis, explained that the company has “a large portfolio of stores no longer aligned to our customers’ needs”.
The retailer cited the rise of online shopping and higher operating costs as the main challenges. River Island has 200 shops across the country and employs over 5,000 people. After closing 32 sites, the brand continues to operate in the other UK and Ireland branches, with no further closures confirmed at this stage.
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River Island stores closing in 2026
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
British jeweller Krafft Jewellers announced it is closing its Chelmsford store, in Essex, after 50 years of trading. The Chelmsford store was the only physical shop the jewellers had.
In a statement, the company said: "To all of our loyal and valued customers, I regret to inform you that after over 50 years of trading, Krafft Jewellers will be closing on March 31, 2026. This decision has not been easy, but the trading climate has become so much harder over the past few years. Unfortunately, the advance in online shopping and increasing costs has impacted so many high street businesses, ours included."
Another family-run jewellery chain, C W Sellors, has been purchased after collapsing into administration at the beginning of the year, saving 46 jobs. The high street jeweller has recently been acquired by a new group of owners, including members of the company's leadership team and outside investors.
C W Sellors has been trading since 1979 and has 10 shops across the UK, including Whitby, York, Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock and Shrewsbury. Lee Causer, from business advisory firm BDO, said earlier this year: "The business has been experiencing challenging trading conditions, with rising overheads and lower demand for its high-end products."
Chief executive Antony Lindsay said: “CW Sellors is a well-established British jewellery and watch business with strong foundations and a loyal customer base. Our focus now is on developing the business further while preserving the craftsmanship, expertise and customers relationships that have defined the brand for almost half a century.”
Express.co.uk has contacted River Island for comment
