28 high street fashion shops closing in 2026 - full list of locations including Primark

Primark and River Island are among the high street brands to close stores in 2026 in the latest blow to town centres across the country. Concerns have been raised about the health of the British high street over the last couple of years. Not only have a number of well-known chains gone into administration, but a slew of independent shops have also been forced to close due to rising costs like National Insurance, minimum wage and energy bills. 

2025 was a rough year for many high street retailers. New Look, for example, closed a number of stores, while Poundland shut close to 150 of their locations as the business tried to improve its financial standing. Widespread closures were not uncommon last year, with many of them spilling over into the first few months of 2026.

Primark and River Island are among the chains to shut stores in both 2025 and 2026, while smaller retailers like Quiz also announced the possibility of closures for this year.

River Island shut several stores in January, leaving many shopping hotspots without stores. The River Island stores that have closed in 2026 are:

• 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

Meanwhile, Primark announced one store closure for 2026. In January, it brought down the shutter on its store in The Orchards Shopping Centre in Dartford.

Meanwhile, Quiz has filed its intention to enter administration, which means its 40 stores across the UK are at risk, with the future of thousands of jobs now uncertain.

A Quiz spokesperson said, according to The Telegraph: "We have taken the decision to file a Notice of Intention to provide us the time we need to explore all financing options. In the meantime, [it’s] business as usual."

Additionally, there are 41 Quiz concessions operating within shops such as New Look. A spokesperson said that all Quiz shops will remain open while options are being explored. The founding Ramzan family had previously put the business into administration less than twelve months ago, resulting in 23 shop closures, before buying back the remaining assets through a pre-pack arrangement.

It also closed 11 of its branches in 2020, attributing its troubles to coronavirus lockdowns. Quiz also explained that things like increased National Insurance had put extra pressure on the business.

The UK shops that Quiz currently has listed on its website are:

• Aberdeen
• Basingstoke
• Belfast Castlecourt
• Birmingham Merryhill
• Bracknell
• Cardiff
• Carlisle
• Castleford Junction 32
• Craigavon
• Derby
• Dunfermline
• Eastbourne
• Galway Ryans
• Glasgow Braehead
• Glasgow Buchanan Galleries
• Glasgow Clydebank
• Glasgow Fort
• Glasgow St Enochs
• Hanley
• Hull
• Inverness
• Irvine
• Leeds White Rose
• Leicester
• United Kingdom
• Livingston
• Manchester Arndale
• Manchester Trafford
• Mansfield
• Newcastle Metro
• Newry
• Newtownabbey
• Northampton
• Norwich
• Portsmouth
• Quiz Ho
• Romford
• Sheffield Meadowhall
• Stirling
• Telford
• Thurrock Lakeside
• Warrington
• Watford