Major high street chain confirms 88 store closures as 200 sites face axe - full list of locations

Cancer Research UK, which runs more than 500 stores nationwide, confirmed the shake-up as part of a major restructuring plan.

Around 600 employees and as many as 3,000 volunteers could be affected by the closures. T

he charity also announced it will shut down its online marketplace at the beginning of 2026, ending the resale of donated goods through digital platforms.

Despite the cuts, Cancer Research UK says it will still operate around 320 branches once the programme is complete, while also pursuing growth by opening at least a dozen new large-format shops by 2028.

The charity has confirmed specific locations facing closure, including branches in Birmingham, Edinburgh and High Wycombe, which form part of the initial wave of 88 shops shutting their doors by May 2026.

Shops earmarked for closure have been chosen based on how much money they make, the cost of their leases and where they are located across the country.

Online sales will also come to an end in early 2026, with the charity confirming it will no longer sell donated goods through resale websites.

Staff were told about the redundancy plans during a video call led by retail director Julie Byard last week, followed by an internal memo on Wednesday spelling out the job losses.

The charity has said it will try to move staff into other roles where possible and will offer support to employees and volunteers affected by the closures.

It explained the shake-up as a response to rising costs, such as higher employer national insurance contributions, stubborn inflation and changing shopping habits. Falling footfall in high streets and tough competition from online resale platforms have also hit sales.

Latest accounts show the retail arm brought in £120.8million in revenue in the year to March 2025, against costs of £120million. That left a slimmer margin compared with the previous year’s £120million income and £116million in expenses.

Julie Byard's internal communication acknowledged that without intervention, numerous branches would likely face financial unviability within five years, necessitating the current restructuring to safeguard the charity's capacity to fund cancer research.

Chief executive Michelle Mitchell stated: "Without action, we predict many of our shops will become unprofitable. A smaller, high-performing retail operation will mean we'll fund more life-saving cancer research and better serve our customers, staff and volunteers."

She acknowledged the difficulty of the announcement, adding: "Our decisions have been taken after serious consideration. We're committed to supporting everyone affected by these changes, and will provide clear information and support throughout the process."

Full list of Cancer Research stores closing by May 2026

• Aberdeen – 19 Rosemount Viaduct, AB25 1NE
• Airdrie – 5 Bank Street, ML6 6AF
• Balham – 168 Balham High Road, SW12 9BW
• Ballymena – 49 Ballymoney Street, BT43 6AN
• Banbury – 9 Parsons Street, OX16 5LW
• Barnstaple – Gammon Walk, EX31 1DJ
• Belfast – 17 Bloomfield Avenue, BT4 1RX
• Biggleswade – 24 High Street, SG18 0JL
• Birkenhead – Borough Pavement, CH41 2XX
• Birmingham (Erdington) – 245 High Street, B23 6SS
• Bognor – 1–2 Clock Walk, PO21 1SG
• Bolton – 6 Newport Street, BL1 1NB
• Bradford – 34–36 Ivegate, BD1 1SW
• Burton-on-Trent – 25 Station Street, DE14 1AU
• Chesham – 34 High Street, HP5 1EP
• Clevedon – 1 Station Road, BS21 6NH
• Clydebank – 23 Sylvania Way South, G81 2UA
• Coatbridge – 20–22 Main Street, ML5 3AE
• Cotteridge (Birmingham) – 20 Watford Road, B30 1JA
• Crewe – 10 Market Street, CW1 2EG
• Derby (Allenton) – 826 Osmaston Road, DE24 9AA
• Dewsbury – 22 Longcauseway, WF12 8EN
• Dudley – 258 Castle Street, DY1 1LQ
• East Barnet – 276 East Barnet Road, EN4 8TD
• Edinburgh (Corstorphine) – 9–10 Ormiston Terrace, EH12 7SJ
• Epping – 197 High Street, CM16 4BL
• Fakenham – 26 Market Place, NR21 9BS
• Falkirk – 18 Vicar Street, FK1 1JL
• Galashiels – 55 High Street, TD1 1RZ
• Gillingham – 90 High Street, ME7 1AX
• Glasgow – 420–424 Victoria Road, G42 8YZ
• Gosport – 98 High Street, PO12 1DS
• Gravesend – 34 New Road, DA11 0AB
• Halesowen – 79 High Street, B63 3BQ
• Harrogate – 24A Oxford Street, HG1 1PU
• Hazel Grove (Stockport) – 129B–C London Road, SK7 4HH
• Hemel Hempstead – 101 Marlowes, HP1 1LF
• High Wycombe – 8 Church Street, HP11 2DE
• Hornchurch – 8 Station Lane, RM12 6NJ
• Keswick – 24 Main Street, CA12 5JD
• King’s Lynn – 61 High Street, PE30 1AY
• Lancaster – 54–54A Market Street, LA1 1HS
• Leeds – 28 Lands Lane, LS1 6LB
• Lincoln – 254 High Street, LN2 1HW
• Lisburn – 4 Smithfield Square, BT28 1AD
• Louth – 20 Market Place, LN11 9PD
• Ludlow – 3 Castle Street, SY8 1AS
• Maidenhead – 101 High Street, SL6 1JX
• Maidstone – 19 Gabriels Hill, ME15 6HR
• Market Drayton – 27 High Street, TF9 1QF
• Melton Mowbray – 6 South Parade, LE13 0PU
• Merthyr Tydfil – 14 Graham Way, CF47 8BT
• Mill Hill – 37 The Broadway, NW7 3DA
• Moreton – 242 Hoylake Road, CH46 6AD
• Newark – 26 Stodman Street, NG24 1AW
• Newcastle-under-Lyme – 19 Ironmarket, ST5 1RF
• Northwood – 38 Green Lane, HA6 2QB
• Paddock Wood – 5 Commercial Road, TN12 6EN
• Penrith – 10 Angel Lane, CA11 7BP
• Perth – 27 Scott Street, PH1 5TQ
• Redditch – 4 Market Place, B98 8AA
• Redruth – 71 Fore Street, TR15 2AF
• Retford – 25 Carolgate, DN22 6BZ
• Ross-on-Wye – 11 Market Place, HR9 5NU
• Rotherham – 74 Effingham Street, S65 1AL
• Rushden – 22 High Street, NN10 0PW
• Selby – 40A Gowthorpe, YO8 4ET
• Sevenoaks – 137 High Street, TN13 1UX
• Shrewsbury – 9 High Street, SY1 1SP
• Sidmouth – 19 Fore Street, EX10 8AL
• Skipton – 91 Caroline Square, BD23 1DA
• Slough – 8 Park Street, SL1 1PD
• Southend-on-Sea – 5 Warrior House, Southchurch Road, SS1 2LZ
• St Ives – 6 High Street, TR26 1RR
• Stalybridge – 44A Grosvenor Road, SK15 1RR
• Stockport – 26 Princes Street, SK1 1SE
• Stoke (Plymouth) – 44 Devonport Road, PL3 4DH
• Swansea – 19 Union Street, SA1 3EH
• Swindon – 28 Havelock Street, SN1 1DQ
• Tiverton – 15 Bampton Street, EX16 6AA
• Urmston – 16 Station Road, M41 9JN
• Welling – 26C Bellegrove Road, DA16 3PU
• Welwyn Garden City – 20 Howardsgate, AL8 6BQ
• West Bromwich – 203 High Street, B70 7QZ
• Whitby – 70 Baxtergate, YO21 1BL
• Wick – 36 Bridge Street, KW1 4NG
• Wigston – 6 Bell Street, LE18 1AD
• Workington – 26–32 Murray Road, CA14 2AG

While dozens of shops are shutting, the charity still plans to open 12 new superstores by 2028, adding to its 46 large out-of-town sites.

The bigger stores are designed to meet demand for spacious, value-focused shopping and are expected to raise an extra £12.4million over the next five years.

The shake-up comes amid wider struggles across the charity retail sector. Scope has already shut 39 of its 138 shops, with another 31 set to close by March 2026. Meanwhile, Barnardo’s and Save the Children have also warned that more closures could follow.

Insiders say changing habits, with more people selling clothes on apps like Vinted and Depop instead of donating them, are piling pressure on charities’ high street income.