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17 major UK high street brands that have shut stores in 2025 so far

David Benjamin
2025 has been another turbulent year for the retail and hospitality industries so far with many big names we’ve become used to seeing on our high streets at risk of disappearing altogether. While some have already vanished, others continue to exist after restructuring and scaling back their operations – with the cost of living crisis, increased operational costs and changes in consumer behaviour (the rise in popularity of online shopping for example) all putting pressure on struggling stores. And it’s not just shops either, as banks, takeaways, bars and restaurants have also been hit by closures. So which major brands are among those to have closed stores so far in 2025? And which have gone for good? Read on to find out more… (Picture: Getty Images)

1. WHSmith

Stationery stalwart WHSmith – long the UK’s go-to for pens, Sudoku books, best-sellers and gifts – started off 2025 with the news that it was closing 10 branches this year, with shops in Oldham, Bedford, Haverhill, Halesowen and Woolwich in London shutting their doors. In March the company, which was founded in 1792, announced it was selling its shops to the owner of Hobbycraft, Modella Capital – and that its name would vanish from the high street altogether, with the chain rebranding as TG Jones. Its branches in train stations, airports and other travel hubs will retain the WHSmith name. The company has since announced more closures, bringing the total number in 2025 to 19 (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)

2. Dobbies Garden Centres

Popular garden centre chain Dobbies closed a number of its stores in 2024 but more have shut this year, with five- in Morpeth, Stapleton, Havant, Rugby and Hare Hatch – all shuttering in January, and branches in Leicester, Aylesbury and Northampton following in February and March. In addition six Little Dobbies – in Bristol, Richmond, Cheltenham, Chiswick, Edinburgh Stockbridge and Westbourne Grove – also closed. The company blamed falling customer numbers on the decision (Picture: Getty Images)

3. Homebase

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Popular DIY chain Homebase went into administration in November 2024 but was partially bought up by CDS Superstores, the parent company of The Range and Wilko. The firm planned to rescue up to 70 shops and retain the brand name, while 76 branches were not saved – with some bought by rivals B&Q and Wickes. 18 branches, including those in St Albans, Stockport, Milton Keynes and Catford in London closed in March – with the Express reporting that as of October the chain has closed 65 branches altogether (Picture: Dave Rushen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

4. Select Fashion

British clothing chain Select Fashion closed several of its stores in March this year before announcing it had collapsed and entered liquidation. Branches in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales and Wellingborough in North Northamptonshire were among those affected in March, with others to close including Southshields, Peterlee, Thornaby, Hartlepool, Scarborough, Hull, Ashington and Scunthorpe. These followed stores in Wolverhampton and Kidderminster, which closed in January. The brand, which had over 100 stores, previously fell into administration in 2019, but was bought out by Genus UK Limited. It now exists only in online form (Picture: Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

5. Hobbycraft

Craft store giants Hobbycraft have closed nine stores this year as part of a company restructure – with branches in Southport, Stratford-On-Avon, Bromborough, Crayford, Chichester, King’s Lyn and Maidenhead among those to shut their doors. CEO Alex Wilson said: ‘Hobbycraft is the UK’s leading arts and crafts retailer, with a strong presence across the country and online, fantastic colleagues and loyal and engaged customers. Very sadly, the strength of our offering has not made us immune to the challenges faced by the retail sector in recent years’ (Credits: Getty Images)

6. NatWest

It isn’t just shops which have felt the strain this year. NatWest is among the banks which have closed branches with six, in the likes of Beverley, Stafford, Garstang and Mansfield, shutting their doors in June and a further 52 branches and three mobile vans set to shut between now and February 2026. NatWest Group, which also includes Royal Bank Of Scotland and Ulster Bank, has closed a total of 1,455 branches since 2015 – more than any other banking group (Picture: Getty Images)

7. Poundland

File photo dated 12/06/25 of a Poundland store in Blyth, Northumberland. Poundland has avoided entering administration after a restructuring plan was approved by a judge at the High Court, days before the company was due to run out of money. Issue date: Tuesday August 26, 2025. PA Photo. Barristers for the retailer had told a hearing earlier on Tuesday that it would be placed into administration by Friday and was set to run out of money by September 7 if the plan was not approved. The scheme will see up to ?60 million of new funding injected to keep the retailer afloat, among other terms. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Discount store Poundland has had a difficult 2025, with the chain being acquired for £1 in a rescue deal in June by investment firm Gordon Brothers, before going into a restructuring process and shutting dozens of shops around the UK. The business previously operated about 800 shops across the UK but the business is now reducing that number to anywhere between 650-700 – with branches closing on a rolling basis over the past few months and more to follow. Many of these will shut down as and when their leases expire and aren’t renewed (Picture:: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)

8. New Look

Fashion retailer New Look is set to close around 41 of its 338 UK stores by the end of 2025 – with branches in Stoke-on-Trent and Scarborough among the latest to be affected. Branches in St Austell, Cornwall. Gateshead, Loughborough and Porth, Rhondda have also closed their doors recently. The chain has been planning to trim its high street presence for some time, but it reportedly increased the number of planned closures after the Autumn budget last year. However the brand continues to be a major store and online presence in the UK, ranked number two for overall women’s wear market share in the 18 to 44 age range by market research company Kantar. More than 10 million customers reportedly shop online, instore and via the app (Picture Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

9. Hamleys

Iconic British toy store Hamleys has been trading for 265 years and has more than 100 UK and international branches – but it announced in July it would be closing 29 shops after profits dipped outside of the UK. It’s not confirmed which branches will be shut, or how many staff will be affected. The brand previously closed 40 of its shops in 2023 – but also opened 22 new stores in 2025 (Picture: Getty Images)

10. Simmons Bars

Retro-style cocktail bar Simmons, which offers brunch, cocktails in teapots and karaoke, fell into administration in August, with four of its 20 branches – in London’s Putney, Bond Street, London Bridge and Temple – closing their doors. Founder Nick Campbell said Simmons is hoping to ‘streamline’ its portfolio and restructure its finances in the process, but that more locations of the bars will open in the future. ‘As part of the process, we’ve taken the tough decision to exit four leases, allowing management to focus resources on our strongest performing venues,’ he told CityAM (Picture: In Pictures via Getty Images)

11. River Island

Clothing chain River Island will close 33 of its 223 branches across the UK by January 2026. The brand made a £33.2million loss in 2023 after sales dropped by 19% – but it was saved from collapsing into administration in August, with the closures coming as part of a restructuring plan which was approved by the high court. Branches in Aylesbury, Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Didcot, Gloucester, Grimsby, Hartlepool, Lisburn, Oxford and Rochdale are among those that will be shutting their doors permanently (Picture John Keeble/Getty Images)

12. Claire’s

Popular accessory brand Claire’s is closing 145 branches across the UK after striking a rescue deal which saved it from administraion. The company has more than 280 UK stores, but the business has lost more than £25m over the last few years. Sean Moran, restructuring and insolvency partner at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau, said the rise of new online stories, the popularity of social media platforms, and US President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hikes could all be factors in the retailer’s demise. He told Metro: ‘The fashion and accessories space has been flooded with new competition in recent years. Ongoing geopolitical considerations, including Trump’s much publicised tariff onslaught, combined with a general downturn in consumer and high street spending, created a perfect storm for the well-loved brand’ (Picture Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

13. Amazon Fresh

Amazon Fresh store, London, England. (Photo by: Matt Pope/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Amazon might be a force to be reckoned with online, but it’s a different story in the high street. The e-commerce giant announced in September that it’s closing all 19 of its Amazon Fresh stores, meaning the brand will disappear for good. Amazon Fresh, which first launched in London in 2021, saw shoppers use the app to enter the store, being charged for what they take with them when they leave. At least five of the 19 sites – all based in London – will be rebranded into Amazon-owned grocer Whole Foods, while the affected staff will be offered roles in other areas of the business (Picture: Matt Pope/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

14. Bodycare

Bodycare brand goes into administration Picture: fourseasonsshopping
Health and beauty retailer Bodycare is among those high street names which has disappeared completely in 2025. The company collapsed into administration in September, with all of its 150 branches having closed by the end of the month and around 1,200 people losing their jobs as a result. Administrators said that the chain has ‘faced a number of challenges in recent years which have negatively impacted its financial position’. Nick Holloway, managing director at administrator Interpath, said they would ‘continue to explore options for the company’s assets, including the Bodycare brand, and will provide further updates in due course’ (Picture: fourseasonsshopping)

15. M&S Cafe

Marks & Spencer announced in October that they are closing nearly a dozen of their in-store cafes. The retail giant operates more than 300 cafes, coffee shops and coffee-to-go kiosks, with the closings impacting just 4% of its 316 food locations. The cafes are closing to make way for more grocery offerings as part of a £300m investment to increase the number of M&S food halls to 420 by the end of 2028. It’s not yet been confirmed which cafes will close – but no jobs will be impacted as the affected staff will be redeployed (Picture: Ker Robertson/Getty Images)

16. Morrisons

Bristol, England UK - February 14 2023: Morrisons Cribbs Causeway shop entrance .; Shutterstock ID 2262536477; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other:
Supermarket giant Morrisons is set to close over 100 stores or parts of stores this year as part of a restructuring programme. The closures – many of which have already taken place – include 50 cafes across the country, 17 daily convenience stores, 13 florists, four pharmacies and all 18 Market Kitchens. The move is part of the company’s ‘programme of renewal’, with the aim being to ‘accelerate growth’, ‘optimise operations’ and ‘help mitigate recent significant cost increases’. Morrisons chief executive Rami Baitiéh said the closures were a ‘necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate Morrisons and enable us to focus our investment into the areas that customers really value and that can play a full part in our growth’ (Picture: Shutterstock / Mareks Perkons)

17. Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut restaurant and takeaway on a high street in Manchester city centre
The popular pizza chain is closing more than 68 of its dine-in restaurants and 11 delivery outlets across the UK after its franchisee, DC London Pie Ltd, collapsed into administration. Pizza Hut, which first came to these shores in 1973, previously boosted sales with such products as a 2,880-calorie Cheeseburger stuffed crust pizza and The Edge, a 90s pizza with no crust at all, alongside an unlimited ice-cream factory for guests. The UK restaurant operation has been bought by American hospitality company Yum! Brands, which will leave around 64 branches open across the country (Picture: Getty Images)

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