The UK's high streets are set for another wave of significant change in 2026, as several major retail chains have confirmed plans to shut down hundreds of branches. This follows a difficult 2024 which saw 13,000 shops close permanently, a figure that was already 28% higher than the year before.
Retail Research Warns of Further Decline
According to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), the situation is expected to worsen. The organisation has warned that approximately 17,350 retail sites are forecast to shut down in 2025. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR, commented on the trend, stating: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Which Stores Are Closing in 2026?
The announcements made over the Christmas period have revealed the extent of the planned high street closures for the coming year.
River Island has confirmed it will close 32 of its stores in the New Year. The full list of locations includes shops in Aylesbury, Bangor, Barnstaple, Beckton, Brighton, Burton-Upon-Trent, Cumbernauld, Didcot, Edinburgh Princes Street, Falkirk, Gloucester, Great Yarmouth, Grimsby, Hanley, Hartlepool, Hereford, Kilmarnock, Kirkcaldy, Leeds Birstall Park, Lisburn, Northwich, Norwich, Oxford, Perth, Poole, Rochdale, St Helens, Surrey Quays, Sutton Coldfield, Taunton, Workington, and Wrexham.
Poundland, which shut dozens of stores in 2025 after being taken over by investment firm Gordon Brothers, has announced another set of closures scheduled for December 2025 and early 2026. The discount chain narrowly avoided collapse after securing High Court approval for a major restructuring plan.
The charity Cancer Research is embarking on a major restructuring of its shop network. Over the next two years, it plans to reduce its core high street chain to around 320 high-performing shops. This strategy involves closing around 90 shops by May 2026, with up to 100 more shutting by April 2027. Concurrently, it will expand its network of out-of-town superstores, with 12 new stores set to open. The charity will also close its online marketplace in early 2026, ceasing the sale of pre-loved items on external resale platforms.
Outdoor retailer Trespass is continuing its consolidation, with its Southampton branch on Above Bar Street scheduled to close on March 9, 2026. The store is currently holding a clearance sale ahead of the shutdown. This follows the closure of its Watford store in October 2025 and its Aylesbury shop in May 2025.
The Future of the British High Street
The consecutive years of extensive UK store closures signal a profound and ongoing transformation in the retail landscape. The shift reflects changing consumer habits, economic pressures, and strategic moves by retailers to focus on profitable locations and alternative sales channels. For communities across the country, the loss of these familiar chains will reshape town centres and high streets, prompting further questions about the future of physical retail in the UK.
