3,000 stores disappeared from UK town centres for good
All the high street businesses that went bust in 2025 as 3,000 stores disappeared from UK town centres for good
Poundland narrowly avoided collapse but other companies weren’t so luckySHOPPERS were stunned by a torrent of high street closures and collapses in 2025.
This year 54 retailers have gone resulting in the loss of 3,080 stores and 30,153 employees, according to the Centre for Retail Research. Iconic outlets have vanished entirely, and some much-loved outlets have pulled the shutters on dozens of stores.
It comes as retail sales growth remains sluggish, still 3.3% below pre-pandemic levels, according to House of Commons data.
Here are the brands that have paid the price..
But it declared US bankruptcy in August, with the chief executive blaming increased competition, changing spending trends and declining high street footfall.
Modella Capital stepped in to buy 156 of its 300-plus stores, securing around 1,000 jobs.
But that meant 145 other stores closed, impacting more than 1,000 employees.
Shoppers were shocked when it was announced in March that WH Smith was to disappear from UK high streets. The newsagent, which dates back to the Victorian era, had agreed to sell its shops to Modella Capital.
With 500 stores earmarked for sale, WH Smith reeled off a list of 20 closures across the UK.
Some 464 remaining high street stores are being rebranded as TG Jones.
Quiz Clothing
The major high street fashion chain Quiz crashed into administration at the beginning of the year.
Some 23 stores immediately drew their shutters, with 191 employees made redundant, as bosses scrambled to scrap loss-making outlets
But in a glimmer of hope for the brand’s fans, restructuring has proved successful.
The Scottish fashion chain recorded an average 14% rise in like-for-like store revenues between July and August, according to the Retail Gazette.
In October, just eight months after it hit the rocks, Quiz Clothing announced plans to open five to 10 new stores over the next year.
The chain currently has around 150 stores.
Bodycare
The British beauty chain Bodycare shut 32 stores and axed 250 jobs after plunging into administration in September.
Bodycare, which began as a Lancashire market stall in the 1970s, had struggled with a double whammy of rising costs and depressed consumer spending.
The cosmetics retailer, known for selling top brands like Lancôme and Rimmel for just 59p, had 147 stores when it was forced to appoint administrators.
But in October, an investment group led by Charles Denton, former CEO of The Body Shop, stepped in to save the brand.
The new owner revealed plans to relaunch between 30 and 50 stores in the first half of next year.
Select Fashion
The high street fashion giant, which had over 83 UK stores, went bust in April.
Some 35 outlets closed in the build-up to the announcement, while the rest followed later too.
An email to staff, seen by The Sun, informed employees that the company had officially gone bust and that there would be a “delay” in the payment of their wages.
It marks the end of Select Fashion Ltd, which the previous summer had entered into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), meaning it was put on a plan to pay off its debts.
The owner of New Look called in advisers to carry out a strategic review in August.
The chain decided to trim its high street presence leading to dozens of store closures this year.
Shoppers were facing 41 closures as of last month, although the company has not gone bust.
It still has 338 stores across the country.
River Island
River Island is gearing up to close 33 stores by the end of next month in a major blow to UK high streets.
The previously announced closures are part of a restructuring plan to help save the retail business.
Locations in major UK cities including Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford, Brighton and Perth are all set to shut.
River Island has been battling with soaring debt in recent years and, like many high street brands, has been struggling to stay open.
Bosses at the fashion retailer have blamed the downturn in sales on the migration of shoppers from the high street to online.
Before the restructuring, it had 250 UK stores and an estimated total of 5,500 employees.
Poundland
The discount retailer Poundland narrowly avoided total collapse after agreeing a turnaround plan days before it ran out of money.
New owners, Gordon Brothers, bought the chain for £1 in June, and laid out plans to invest £90million to save the business.
Poundland, which had around 14,700 staff and 800 stores in the summer, announced the closure of 68 shops.
Their rescue plan, approved by the High Court, meant tough decisions, including cutting 1,000 jobs.
Monki
At the start of the year, European fashion giant H&M announced plans to close its seven stores under its Monki brand.
It said a “limited number” of these would be transformed into its sister brand Weekday but still closed a number of shops permanently.
The arts and crafts seller did not go bust, but instead launched a series of store closures in 2025 as part of a strategic review of the business in May.
The struggling company has been trying to balance its books, and negotiate new rents with landlords.
In August, the business confirmed nine extra store closures, bringing the total for the year to 27.
There are 99 stores left across the country.
Fired Earth
The luxury tile and home design retailer Fired Earth entered administration in October.
Bosses made 133 staff redundant from the Oxfordshire-based business and closed all of its 20 showrooms.
It had been making losses for several years, with the most recent annual outflow reportedly rising to £1.7million.
Seraphine
The maternity fashion outlet collapsed in July after sales spent years being hit by “trading challenges” and “fragile consumer confidence”.
Bosses made 95 staff redundant and stopped trading, paving the way for fashion giant Next to buy the brand for just £600,000.
At its peak, Seraphine had 10 stores around the world including in New York and Paris.
Founded in 2002, it became a household name when Kate Middleton wore its designs during her three pregnancies.
But its popularity boost wasn’t enough to overcome the “economic challenges” it faced, bosses said.
Now you’ll find it among the brands that Next offers.
Coopers of Beccles
The hardware chain Coopers of Beccles announced its closure in October after occupying high streets in the East of England for nine years.
Some 45 jobs and four stores were lost.
Commercial director Stuart Ruskin told BBC it had struggled to attract customers because of “how the high street is today”.
“Bills were not getting paid, even online was struggling, so it is just not working anymore,” he said.
Homebase
Home improvement firm Homebase shut 65 shops between January and March after falling into administration late in 2024.
Retail group CDS, run by The Range owner Chris Dawson, snapped up the brand but was unable to save all its stores.
Bosses at Homebase have said recent years were “incredibly challenging” for DIY stores, blaming “a decline in consumer confidence and spending” after the pandemic.
Starbucks
It wasn’t just retailers that were affected too, with chains of cafes, bars and restaurants also facing issues.
In September, Starbucks launched an overhaul which resulted in the closure of some of its UK coffee shops.
The group did not disclose exactly how many sites would shut but closed 10 locations in October as part of the process.
Brewdog
Scottish craft brewery and bar business Brewdog shut 10 of its sites in July, including its first-ever venue in Aberdeen.
The closure plan, which was part of a shake-up of Brewdog’s hospitality arm, put almost 100 jobs at risk.
Leon
Leon is closing around 20 of its restaurants after falling intro administration and launching a major restructuring in December.
The company said it will shut the doors of the worst-performing of its 71 stores.
It came after the group was bought back by co-founder John Vincent from supermarket group Asda.
Pizza Hut
In October, Pizza Hut confirmed that 68 of the brand’s UK restaurants would shut after the business running its franchise in the country entered administration.
It also shut 11 delivery sites as part of a restructuring which put 1,210 workers at risk of redundancy.
DC London Pie, the firm running Pizza Hut’s UK dine-in restaurants, appointed administrators after being impacted by a slowdown in the sector.
American hospitality giant Yum! Brands, which owns the global Pizza Hut business, bought the remaining UK restaurant operation in a rescue deal, saving 64 sites.
