Full list of shop closures for January 2026 including Poundland and Primark

Shops on the British high street are at risk as they enter the new year, with some popular chains closing a number of branches in January.

Poundland is one of several struggling shops as its new owners are carrying out a major restructure, which includes shutting down 30 of the discount retailer’s stores.

Primark has also recently shocked shoppers with the news it would be closing a branch for the first time in the last decade.

Metro has compiled the closures set for January 2026 for you to check if your local shop is affected.

Which Poundland shops will be closing in January 2026?

Poundland was sold by its former parent company Pepco Group to Gordon Brothers last year in order to save it from administration.

But this has led to a restructure involving the closures of many of its stores across the UK.

Some 12 branches are set to close in January 2026:

• Bexhill– January 5
• Ponders End – January 5
• Kilmarnock – January 5
• Faversham – January 6
• Mitcham – January 14
• Liverpool – January 15
• Yeovil – January 16
• Cameron Toll – January 20
• Nottingham Eastpoint – January 22
• Lymington – January 23
• Christchurch (47 High Street) – January 23
• Bristol Avon Meads – January 29

Many of the brand’s stores have already shut their doors:

• Twickenham – October 5
• Westhoughton – October 5
• Market Harborough – October 9
• Lowestoft – October 10
• Colne – October 11
• Rochdale – October 13
• Leicester – October 17
• Tenby – October 18
• Blackpool (Cherry Tree Retail Park) – October 25
• Deal – October 27
• Thurrock – October 27
• Walsall – October 29
• Hailsham – November 2
• Perry Barr – November 2
• Matlock – November 2
• Carlisle – November 9
• Burnley – November 9
• Witham – November 12
• Sidcup – November 14
• Dalston – November 24
• Beeston – November 27
• Launceston – November 29
• Melton Mowbray – December 4
• Droitwich – December 9
• Hempstead Valley – December 31

Are any Primark shops shutting?

International fashion retailer Primark has surprised customers with the news that one its shops will be closing in the new year – the brand’s first closure in a decade.

Primark’s site at The Orchards Shopping Centre in Dartford will be closing its doors. The last day of trading there will be Saturday, January 3.

A local Facebook page shared a picture of a poster in store announcing this, alongside text saying: ‘Our signs are up, the rumours are true Primark Dartford is closing down, our last day will be Saturday 3rd January.

‘Thank you so much all for supporting us and all the cards and chocolates we’ve received recently with condolences.’

Philippa Nibbs, the director of sales for UK South and South East at Primark, told The Sun that the closure was due to ‘the significant and extensive repair work the building requires’.

‘We know this will be disappointing news for our customers and the wider Dartford community too, and we are very grateful for their support over the years,’ she added

Local customers can find other Primark stores nearby in Bexleyheath and Bluewater Shopping Centre.

Kent also saw a new branch open in Tunbridge Wells last month. Its launch on December 12 received ‘incredible buzz’ with long queues and a live DJ.

River Island closes all shops by January 2026

River Island has been caught up in Britain’s high street trouble and its restructuring plan is moving towards online shopping rather than in-person retail branches.

It previously announced that 33 stores would be closing permanently by the end of January 2026.

On the plan, River Island’s CEO Ben Lewis said: ‘We have a clear transformation strategy to ensure the long-term viability of the business, and this decision gives us a strong platform to deliver this.’

He added: ‘Recent improvements in our fashion offer and shopping experience are starting to show results, and the restructuring plan will enable us to align our store estate to our customers’ needs.

‘We are grateful to our suppliers, landlords and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and shared confidence in River Island’s future.’

The stores set to have closed by the end of this month are:

• Beckton
• 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

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