January isn't even over yet, but already nearly 10,000 retail jobs have been lost in the UK since the start of the year.

A total of 9,949 jobs have gone, according to the latest figures from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), as reported by the BBC.

Several big name retailers have already announced store closures and redundancies this month, including Asda, Debenhams, HMV, Game and Topshop owner Arcadia.

Debenhams has once more escaped the chop in Gloucester, but 28 more store closures are expected in 2021.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Jack Wills would be closing on Cheltenham's Promenade , with the town's Gap store also set to shut up shop over the next few days.

Mothercare has shut its UK shops for good, and department store chain Beales and toy shop Hawkin's Bazaar have gone into administration, putting a further 1,200 jobs at risk. collapsed into administration.

January is always a tough month for retailers, while consumers recover from Christmas spending. For retailers which had a bad Christmas, January is even more challenging.

January's retail job losses are in line with last year's figures - according to the CRR, the sector lost 143,100 jobs during 2019.