Stockport River Island spared from wave of branch closures

By Alasdair Perry 25th Jun 2025

Local News by Alasdair Perry 25th Jun 2025

Stockport's River Island branch has been spared from a wave of store closures.

The fashion chain is planning to close 33 branches across its estate by January 2026, after sales slid by almost 20 percent in 2023.

It will also be reducing rents at 71 other locations across the country.

Fortunately, though, Stockport is not among those set to be closed.

Rochdale and Northwich are among the nearby locations which are closing.

River Island said that these branches are 'no longer where customers shop'.

"The well-documented migration of shoppers from the high street to online has left the business with a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers' needs", said River Island CEO Ben Lewis.

"The sharp rise in the cost of doing business over the last few years has only added to the financial burden."

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Mr Lewis said River Island 'regrets' any job losses as a result of store closures, saying "we will try to keep these to a minimum".

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