Historic British footwear brand shuts 10 stores after collapsing into administration

Joe Sledge
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:26:34 +0000

Russell & Bromley has closed 10 stores in the first wave of shutdowns following the footwear retailer’s collapse into administration earlier this year.

The British shoe brand’s Covent Garden branch is set to close on April 22, with stores in Bath and Harrogate scheduled to shut on April 23.

Locations already closed include Exeter, Hampstead, Winchester, Stratford, Birmingham, Jermyn Street, Canary Wharf, and three outlet stores in Swindon, Ashford, and Cheshire Oaks.

Further closures are expected in the coming weeks as the 146-year-old retailer winds down most of its operations.

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The closures follow Next’s acquisition of the brand through a pre-pack administration deal completed in January.

Next purchased the Russell & Bromley brand, its intellectual property, and three retail locations for £2.5million in cash.

The retailer retained stores in Chelsea and Mayfair in London, along with the Bluewater shopping centre site in Kent.

Before entering administration, Russell & Bromley operated 36 stores across the UK and Ireland and employed around 440 staff.

Next transferred 40 employees into its business as part of the deal.

Joint administrators at Interpath are overseeing the process and declined to comment on the closures.

Suppliers were reportedly left without communication following the administration announcement, with some holding stock valued at hundreds of thousands of euros.

Administrators are understood to have offered suppliers around a fifth of production costs for remaining inventory.

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Discounts of up to 90 per cent are being offered at stores set to shut, although reductions vary by location.

Russell & Bromley confirmed it will not honour gift cards.

The closures mark a significant contraction for the retailer, with only three stores continuing to trade under the brand following the Next acquisition.

Job losses are expected as most of the estate closes.

Russell & Bromley, founded in 1880 by George Bromley and Elizabeth Russell in Eastbourne, built its reputation on loafers, boots, pumps and brogues, attracting high‑profile customers including the Princess of Wales, Katie Holmes and Billie Piper.

The company has struggled since the pandemic, hit by weaker demand and rising costs, and has not recorded a profit since 2019.

Next has been steadily expanding its portfolio of British brands in recent years, acquiring names such as Cath Kidston, Joules and Seraphine, and is reported to be considering further fashion‑sector takeovers.