River Island and Primark are among the major retailers that have revealed plans to shut down stores in January 2026.
The Centre for Retail Research reported that 54 retailers collapsed last year, leading to the closure of 3,080 stores and the loss of 30,153 jobs.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), retail sales volumes experienced a slight decline of 0.1% in November.
River Island is set to close a minimum of 27 stores this month as part of its restructuring efforts. Locations such as Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees have already closed in late 2025. However, the closure dates for stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria are yet to be confirmed.
Poundland will be shutting down 12 shops in January following a restructuring plan approved by the High Court. The discount retailer had closed 57 stores by the end of September after being acquired by investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1.
Primark recently closed its Dartford store due to severe building repair needs, marking its first closure in over a decade. Philippa Nibbs, Primark’s director of sales for UK South and South East, explained that the decision was made based on the extensive repair work required, making the location unviable.
Lloyds Banking Group, including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland, is closing a total of 34 bank branches this month. This consists of 17 Lloyds branches, eight Halifax sites, and nine Bank of Scotland branches, attributed to the increasing trend of online banking usage.
The closures by Lloyds are part of their strategy to adapt to the changing consumer behavior towards digital banking services.