River Island to leave Belgium and the Netherlands

British fashion chain River Island River Island has announced it will close all its stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. All the stores would already close their doors this spring.

Closing this spring

A management meeting in Londen is said to have sealed the fate of River Island’s activities in Belgium and the Netherlands. This RetailNews report has been confirmed by a River Island spokesperson. The chain has one Belgian store (in Antwerp) and four in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Groningen, Rotterdam and The Hague), which will all close in April or May.

Worldwide, the chain still has 350 stores, most of which in Great Britain itself. However, there are also quite a few franchise stores in Asia.

The chain has been in dire straits for years, battling receding sales figures due to a strong competition with online players and discounters like Primark. The whole British retail sector struggles with major difficulties and many stores have had to report disappointing results. The uncertainty about and rising costs in British shopping streets give no good outlook for the near future.