Full list of major brands closing branches or vanishing from the UK high street

Some of Britain's major high street retailers have announced store closures as they battle increased costs and decreased consumer demand. A whopping 22 businesses have announced closures and administrations so far this year, including River Island, Poundland, and Quiz.

Bosses say this is driven by rising operational taxes and employment costs, and altered consumer habits. With thousands of chain and independent stores shutting down yearly, the high street faces a major shift.

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Coughlans Bakery: (July 1, 2026) – The 89-year-old South East England bakery chain, co-owned and backed by comedian Romesh Ranganathan, went into voluntary liquidation and closed all 31 stores overnight. The closure was blamed on escalating fuel costs, high business rates, and increased employer National Insurance contributions, adding an extra £20,000 a week in overheads.

Claire's Accessories: (January 26, 2026 / April 27, 2026) – Following its entry into administration under Modella Capital in late January, the fashion accessories retailer formally shut all 154 standalone UK and Ireland high street shops on April 27, 2026, leading to 1,300 job losses. (Concessions inside supermarkets like Asda remain unaffected).

WH Smith High Street: (Early 2026) – After its separation from WH Smith PLC under Modella Capital, the high street branches entirely removed the traditional WH Smith branding to trade under the new identity TG Jones.

TG Jones: (Early 2026) – After its takeover and rebrand by Modella Capital, the high street division secured High Court backing for an extensive restructuring scheme to prevent insolvency, leading to the anticipated closure of approximately 150 of its 450 outlets.

River Island: (January 2026) – After posting substantial losses, the fashion chain obtained High Court backing for a significant restructuring scheme, scheduling the shutdown of 33 key physical stores during the first six months of the year (including Oxford, Aylesbury, and Gloucester).

GAME: (Early 2026) – After filing for administration, standalone high street premises have formally ceased trading as the brand entirely transitions its presence into concessions within Sports Direct outlets.

The Original Factory Shop: (January 2026) - The discount chain entered administration under Interpath Advisory, putting all 137 high street stores at risk.

Russell and Bromley: (Early 2026) – Following its collapse into administration, the upmarket footwear retailer was acquired by Next. However, Next chose to retain just three flagship sites (Chelsea, Mayfair, and Bluewater), leading to the closure of the remaining 33 standalone branches.

Poundland: (January/February 2026) – As part of a High Court-sanctioned restructuring plan, the discount retailer confirmed a staged programme of closures, shutting dozens of struggling stores as leases come to an end.

Quiz: (Early 2026) – Fell into administration for the third time in six years, sparking clearance sales and shop closures throughout its 40-strong estate.

Magnet Kitchens: (Early 2026) – Revealed the closure of 15 struggling outlets (including Birmingham, York, and Brighton) through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to tackle unsustainable property costs.

Cancer Research UK: (Early 2026) – Announced it is shutting between 88 and 90 of its high street charity outlets during its restructuring phase, owing to soaring running costs.

House of Fraser / Plymouth: (February 2026) – Closure notices appeared in the windows of its prominent Plymouth department store, confirming it would shut its doors by March, reducing the historic chain to just 11 remaining locations nationwide.

Halifax (Complete High Street Removal): (July 1, 2026) – In one of the most significant banking shake-ups in recent memory, Lloyds Banking Group confirmed that the Halifax brand will disappear entirely from UK high streets after 173 years. All 190 standalone Halifax branches will be rebranded under the Lloyds name or absorbed into neighbouring Lloyds branches throughout 2027, with all customer accounts eventually transferred across.

Lloyds Banking Group (Branch Closures): (January 2026) – Prior to the rebranding announcement, the group proceeded with the closure of 95 branches across the UK, including Lloyds Bank (53 sites), Halifax (31 sites), and Bank of Scotland (11 sites).

TGI Fridays: (Early 2026) – Following its UK arm entering administration and subsequent takeover by Sugarloaf TGIF Operations, 16 restaurants were permanently closed to stabilise the wider business.

Revolution Bars and Revolución de Cuba: (Ongoing 2026) – Continued its multi-phase restructuring programme, carrying out permanent closures of bars in major cities, including Cardiff, Liverpool, and Reading.

Morrisons: (May 2026) In May 2026, Morrisons revealed plans to close 100 of its company-owned "Morrisons Daily" convenience outlets in the coming months. The branches earmarked for closure are the least profitable, poorest-performing sites that Morrisons initially took on in 2022 when it saved the failing McColl's convenience chain.

Santander: Has planned 40 branch closures throughout its network.

NatWest Group: Progressing its shift to digital-first banking by planning 30 branch closures.

H&M: The fast-fashion retailer revealed that, as part of an optimisation programme, it will close 170 stores globally, resulting in a net reduction of approximately 80 stores after accounting for new openings.

Topps Tiles: The home improvement retailer is shutting more than 20 branches.