River Island is a well-known British fashion retailer that has had a presence in Reading for years.
However, that is set to change soon, as its store at The Oracle is set to close on Friday, October 16.
Despite this news, a spokesperson for Hammerson, the owning company, stated the closure will facilitate further changes to the shopping centre.
They said: “The Oracle continues to perform strongly and attract significant retailer interest alongside rising customer visits.
“River Island’s closure forms part of our proactive strategy to further enhance the destination, and we have exciting plans for the space which we look forward to announcing in due course.
“This is all backed by customer feedback as visitors are seeking new brands and experiences.
“Our latest plans build on the strong momentum we have seen in recent months and years, including the arrival Zara, Hollywood Bowl, TK Maxx, ProCook, Harli + Harpa, Shake Shack and Cosy Club, with further investment and new openings planned this Autumn.”
The entrance to The Oracle from Minster Street in Reading town centre from outside, showing Cosy Club and other stores. (Image: Hammerson)
The upcoming closure of River Island is the latest news from The Oracle which has seen substantial changes in the last three years.
Debenhams and House of Fraser, the department stores which ‘anchored’ the centre when it opened in 1999, both closed in 2023, with the latter closing in October of that year.
AS IT HAPPENED: Landmark plan to change The Oracle forever is decided
The Oracle then entered a wilderness period with the whole of the former House of Fraser being closed for 19 months.
Hammerson completed the ‘repositioning’ of the store this May, with Zara relocating to a unit on the top floor of the mall.
This was preceded by TK Maxx, which opened at the ground floor of the mall in May last year, and Hollywood Bowl following that at the riverside level in July of that year.
Zara confirmed to relocate into ‘upsized’ store at The Oracle in Reading
The entirety of Debenhams remains closed and is due to be partially demolished to make way for 218 flats, a leisure unit and co-working office space.
You can view plans that were approved by Reading Borough Council this year by typing reference PL/22/1916 into its planning portal.
River Island has had eight years at The Oracle, first moving there in 2018 after previously being situated in Broad Street.
Street view imagery from April 2018 shows River Island still open, indicating the relocation took place later that year.
The old store made way for an enlarged JD Sports that itself opened on ‘Wild Wednesday’ in December 2020, when coronavirus lockdown measures were lifted.
