Workers have started clearing out the site of the former River Island store on Lister Gate in the city centre, after the fashion retailer confirmed that the shop is to close permanently.
The retailer, which last year made 600 store and head office staff redundant, is to retain its other city centre store, in the Nottingham Victoria shopping centre.
The loss of the River Island store comes as a further blow to the city centre’s business community after the news of the collapse of department store chain Debenhams, which occupies a prominent site in the Old Market Square, and high street fashion brands Topshop, Topman, and Miss Selfridge, all of which are to close their doors.
The departures have prompted fresh concerns about the high level of high street vacancies in the city centre and throughout the county, and the knock-on effects for landlords who have faced months without any rent payments as beleaguered retailers remain closed during lockdown.
