Retail insolvencies signal a sector still on shaky ground

The fashion industry is no stranger to disruption, but the latest insolvency figures underline a worrying truth: retailers are still operating on borrowed time. While the month-on-month drop in retail insolvencies from 177 in October 2025 to 158 in November 2025 may offer a momentary sigh of relief, the broader trend is far less comforting. Insolvencies are still 14 percent higher than the 138 recorded in November 2024, a clear sign that the sector’s resilience is being tested, and tested hard.