BRITAIN’S high streets face a grim start to the year as closures mount and potential administrations leave thousands of jobs hanging in the balance.
If you thought last year was bad, 2026 is already shaping up to be a bloodbath for some of the nation’s most iconic brands.
Just days after Christmas, the alarm bells are ringing loud and clear as major retailers fight for their lives.
Claire’s Accessories and The Original Factory Shop risk becoming the first casualties of the year after filing notices to appoint administrators earlier this week.
And they aren’t alone.
A toxic cocktail of soaring business taxes, weak consumer confidence, and spiralling inflation is pushing retailers to the brink.
Insolvency experts warn this triple whammy is triggering an alarming drop-off in shoppers, leaving bosses with no choice but to shut up shop.
The National Living Wage is also going up, and while this is great for staff, it squeezes the already razor-thin profit margins for struggling bosses.
Here are all the retailers at risk, the stores vanishing this month, and what it means for your wallet.
Claire’s
The glittery accessories chain is in deep trouble again and has filed a notice to appoint administrators just months after a rescue deal was supposed to save it.
Owner Modella Capital confirmed it has initiated insolvency proceedings after last-ditch attempts to rescue the business failed.
Filing the notice is part of a legal process which will halt debt collection and provide the company with another 10 days to find a new buyer or investment.
The chain had already collapsed in August 2025 after its US parent company went bankrupt, at which point Modella pitched itself as a knight in shining armour to save 156 stores.
However, that deal was always fragile, and managing director Joe Price admitted at the time that the issues facing the brand were significant.
Since the takeover, the chain has been hammered by a permanent shift in teenage shopping habits and the devastating loss of a major concession partner who ripped up their contract.
The Original Factory Shop
Known for its deals, The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) has also filed a notice to appoint an administrator under the same owners as Claire’s.
The retailer has been in trouble for some time as it failed to cash in on the discount boom that boosted rivals like B&M and Home Bargains.
Matters were made worse by a disastrous decision to switch to a new logistics provider, which sparked supply chain chaos and left shelves empty last year.
Management had been scrambling to launch a Company Voluntary Arrangement to close underperforming shops and slash rents, but time has now run out.
Insolvency experts from Interpath Advisory are expected to handle the process, putting jobs at risk across the estate.
Last year, the retailer shut a raft of stores after launching massive closing down sales.
Poundland
Even the discount giants are not safe, as Poundland is in the middle of a massive shake-up following a chaotic Christmas.
The chain is on track to have closed around 130 stores by February 2026 as part of a major restructuring plan.
Poundland is currently tapping into a £30million emergency overdraft from previous owners Pepco to survive a liquidity crunch after festive sales fell short of forecasts.
The chain was rescued last summer by distressed investment specialist Gordon Brothers for just £1, a deal that protected most staff but paved the way for deep cuts.
The new owners have since shut warehouses and underperforming stores to try and boost profits, and clearance sales with up to 40% off are currently running in stores earmarked for closure.
River Island
The high street fashion chain is shrinking its presence dramatically and is set to shut 33 stores across the UK before the end of January 2026.
This is part of a restructuring plan approved by the High Court aimed at preventing the chain from collapsing into administration.
River Island revealed in August 2025 that it was preparing to close these stores following a decline in footfall and sales.
Along with the closures, the retailer has forced through rent cuts at a further 71 shops.
Bosses blame the sharp rise in the cost of doing business for the move, which leaves the future of the brand looking leaner than ever.
TGI Fridays
It is not just shops feeling the pinch, as TGI Fridays is frantically trying to secure a rescue deal.
The company behind the UK arm has filed its third notice of intention to appoint administrators, a legal move that buys them ten more days to find a buyer.
It’s understood that one of the options being explored is a pre-pack administration deal, which would see a new buyer lined up immediately.
However, this deal could involve the closure of between 15 and 20 restaurants, although the final number has not yet been decided.
The chain currently has 49 restaurants and employs about 2,000 staff, all of whom are waiting anxiously to hear if their jobs are safe.
The brands we lost in 2025
SHOPPERS faced a torrent of high street closures and collapses in 2025, with 54 retailers going bust resulting in the loss of 3,080 stores and over 30,000 jobs.
Claire’s
Before its current crisis, the jewellery chain declared US bankruptcy in August 2025, blaming increased competition and declining footfall.
While Modella Capital stepped in to buy 156 stores, another 145 branches were closed immediately, impacting more than 1,000 employees.
WH Smith
Shoppers were shocked in March when the historic newsagent sold its high street arm to Modella Capital, effectively disappearing from town centres as we know them.
While the brand lives on in airports and train stations, 20 high street stores closed immediately and the remaining 464 are being rebranded as TG Jones.
Quiz Clothing
The fashion chain crashed into administration at the start of the year, immediately closing 23 stores and making 191 staff redundant.
In a rare glimmer of hope, the restructuring was successful, and the brand has since recorded a rise in revenues and plans to open new stores.
Bodycare
The British beauty staple shut all 32 of its stores and axed 250 jobs after plunging into administration in September due to rising costs.
Fortunately, an investment group led by the former boss of The Body Shop stepped in to save the brand, with plans to relaunch up to 50 stores this year.
Select Fashion
This high street fashion giant went bust in April, leading to the closure of over 83 UK stores.
The collapse marked the end of Select Fashion Ltd, which had previously entered a Company Voluntary Arrangement in a failed attempt to pay off its debts.
New Look
The fashion chain called in advisers for a strategic review in August and decided to trim its high street presence significantly.
Shoppers saw 41 stores close by the end of the year, leaving the company with around 338 remaining sites.
Poundland
The discount retailer narrowly avoided total collapse in June after being bought for just £1 by Gordon Brothers days before it ran out of money.
The rescue plan approved by the High Court saved the business but forced the closure of 68 shops and the loss of 1,000 jobs.
Hobbycraft
The arts and crafts seller launched a strategic review in May to balance its books and negotiate new rents.
By August, the business had confirmed 27 store closures for the year, leaving just under 100 stores operational across the country.
Fired Earth
Luxury tile retailer Fired Earth entered administration in October, closing all 20 of its showrooms and making 133 staff redundant.
The Oxfordshire-based business had been making losses for several years before finally succumbing to the difficult trading environment.
Seraphine
The maternity fashion brand, famous for being worn by Kate Middleton, collapsed in July after struggling with fragile consumer confidence.
Bosses made 95 staff redundant and closed stores, paving the way for fashion giant Next to buy the brand for just £600,000.
