River Island’s Aberdeen branch has escaped closure after the High Court approved a major restructuring plan that will see the fashion retailer shut 33 stores across the UK.
Five Scottish outlets will close in January 2026 — Edinburgh’s Princes Street store, plus branches in Cumbernauld, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy and Perth — but the Granite City location will remain open.
The chain, which has struggled with the shift to online shopping, rising operating costs and multi-million pound losses, warned it faced insolvency without the rescue plan.
Retailers have been hit hard by increased staff costs following the Chancellor’s hike in national insurance contributions and the living wage.
River Island will now seek to negotiate rent reductions at a further 71 stores.
About 110 of its 1,000 head office staff will be made redundant, saving an estimated £8.1 million.
Chief executive Ben Lewis said: “This plan will enable us to align our store estate to our customers’ needs.”