River Island and Primark are among the major retailers that have confirmed store closures for January 2026. The Centre for Retail Research reported that 54 retailers went bankrupt last year, leading to the closure of 3,080 stores and impacting 30,153 employees. Retail sales volumes experienced a slight decline of 0.1% in November, according to the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

River Island is set to shut down at least 27 stores this month as part of a restructuring plan that initially announced the closure of 33 stores. Branches in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees have already closed in late 2025. However, the closure dates for Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria are yet to be finalized.

Poundland will be closing 12 shops in January as part of an approved restructuring following its acquisition by investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1. The discount retailer had already closed 57 stores by the end of September last year.

Primark has closed its Dartford store on January 3 due to the urgent need for building repairs. This closure marks the first for the high street fashion chain in over a decade. Philippa Nibbs, Primark’s director of sales for UK South and South East, explained that the decision was based on the extensive repair work required for the building, making it unviable to operate.

Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland, will be closing a total of 34 bank branches this month, comprising 17 Lloyds branches, eight Halifax sites, and nine Bank of Scotland branches. The closures are attributed to the increasing trend of online banking as more customers opt for digital banking services over physical branch visits.