The fashion brand is due to shut its doors at the retail park outlet amid dismay from shoppers who called the news “ridiculous” and “depressing” as the firm has said dozens more stores will close soon
Popular high-street fashion retailer River Island is launching a massive closing down sale ahead of shutting a popular branch in the coming days.
The fashion brand is due to shut its doors at the Showgrounds Retail Park branch in Omagh, Northern Ireland, amid fierce competition from online retailers, bosses have said.
The store has launched an “everything must go” before it is scheduled to close its doors for the final time on September 22.
A touching message from staff to local shoppers on social media shared the news, saying: “Our landlord and River Island unfortunately couldn’t agree on the terms of a new lease.
“So unfortunately the landlord has asked River Island to vacate the building. As you can imagine the team are totally gutted, especially at such a short turnaround.
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“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful customers who have shopped with us for years! We know you will be sad to see us leave as well.”
Shoppers reacted with fury at the news, with one devastated local calling it “ridiculous,” adding: “River Island was the only decent fashion store left in Omagh.”
Another said: “This is so sad. If I shop it’s rarely online. I like to experience the shop feeling …. this is so sad for the town too.”
While a third added: “Another business gone we won’t have anything left in our town it’s actually depressing looking around it”
The well-known fashion brand has said previously that it plans to close 33 stores as part of a major restructuring effort to try and keep the business afloat, with plans for the cull to take place in January.
A few weeks ago the High Court ruled that the chain was allowed to go ahead with the plans, that will doubtless cost many jobs. Bosses have blamed a rise in online shopping for the declining footfall in retail stores on British high streets, adding pressure to retailers like River Island.
Last year the British fashion chan posted pre-tax losses of £32.3million and said that turnover had fallen 15% to £578.1million.
The chain is also in negotiations with the landlords of 71 store locations for rent reductions. This is a fairly common practice in businesses that are in times of financial difficulty.
River Island store closures
There have been 35 stores named that will shut their doors by the end of January.
- Beckton
- Bangor Bloomfield
- Wrexham
- Edinburgh Princes Street
- Hereford
- Surrey Quays
- Didcot
- Sutton Coldfield
- Aylesbury
- Burton-Upon-Trent
- Northwich
- Taunton
- Workington
- Falkirk
- Cumbernauld
- Kirkcaldy
- Gloucester
- Hartlepool
- Brighton
- Lisburn
- Norwich
- Oxford
- Poole
- Kilmarnock
- Hanley
- Barnstaple
- Grimsby
- Leeds Birstall Park
- Rochdale
- Great Yarmouth
- St Helens
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Perth
- Wandsworth
- Omagh