Major Retailers Announce Widespread Store Closures Across the UK for 2026
In a significant blow to the high street, several prominent UK retailers have confirmed plans to shutter multiple stores in 2026, impacting communities nationwide. Morrisons, Poundland, and River Island are among the chains implementing closures, with hundreds of jobs at risk and local shopping options set to diminish.
Morrisons Shuts Key Bakery Facility Amid Market Challenges
Morrisons has announced the closure of its Rathbones Bakery, a crucial manufacturing facility that supplies the supermarket chain. This decision places numerous colleagues at the site under threat of redundancy, following a broader trend of retail contraction. The bakery closure comes after Morrisons shut down 145 sites last year, including cafes, florists, and pharmacies.
A spokesperson for Morrisons explained the rationale behind the move, stating, "Since the restructuring of the Rathbones business in early 2025, the team has worked diligently to establish a future as a smaller, more focused supplier of specialist bakery products. However, trading conditions in the bakery market have become increasingly challenging."
The spokesperson further elaborated, "Despite tremendous efforts to develop new markets, volumes and sales have declined significantly. This downturn was exacerbated by the loss of a major third-party customer, alongside cost increases and the resurgence of inflation, all of which have severely impacted the business's competitiveness."
As a result, sales performance has fallen well below recovery plan expectations, with the business continuing to report substantial losses, necessitating this difficult closure.
Poundland Continues Restructuring with Multiple Store Closures
Poundland is set to close 14 stores in February, adding to the dozens of branches shuttered in 2025. The retailer's comprehensive restructuring plan will ultimately lead to a total of 100 store closures, as reported by the Express. This move reflects ongoing pressures in the value retail sector.
Darren MacDonald, Poundland's UK country manager, commented on the closures, saying, "We understand the disappointment when we leave a store. Before closing our doors for the final time, we are committed to saying goodbye by offering even more exceptional value to our customers."
MacDonald added, "These special reductions, on top of the value we provide in every store, will help us depart from locations with pride."
The following Poundland stores are closing or have recently closed:
- Lancaster, Lancashire – closed
- Bexhill, East Sussex – closed
- Northampton Sixfields, Northamptonshire – closed
- Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset – closed
- Hammersmith, Greater London – closed
- Prestatyn, Denbighshire – closed
- Mitcham, Greater London – closed
- Faversham, Kent – closed
- Liverpool, Merseyside – closed
- Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland – closed
- Cameron Toll, Edinburgh, Scotland – closed
- Yeovil, Somerset – closed
- Nottingham Eastpoint, Nottinghamshire – closed
- Lymington, Hampshire – closed
- Christchurch (47 High Street), Dorset – closed
- Bristol Avon Meads, Bristol – closed
- Winton, Dorset – closing February 6
- Chichester – closing February 8
- Feltham – closing February 8
- Crayford – closing February 11
- Nottingham (Chilwell) – closing February 13
- Urmston – closing February 16
River Island Shutters 32 Stores Following Financial Losses
Fashion retailer River Island closed 32 stores in January after reporting a pre-tax loss of £32.3 million last year. The company cited the rapid rise of online shopping and persistently high operating costs as primary challenges driving this decision. This closure wave significantly reduces the brand's physical presence across the UK.
The River Island stores that have closed include:
- 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
These closures underscore the ongoing struggles within the retail sector, as businesses grapple with shifting consumer habits, economic pressures, and competitive landscapes. The impact on local economies and employment remains a critical concern as 2026 approaches.
