With the last 30 years of technological advances completely upheaving how people all over the world shop for everything from kitchen appliances to clothes, even discount and outlet stores can have trouble staying in business.
More than 100 years after it was established in Seattle in 1920, outdoor clothing and recreation gear Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2026.
British shoe retailer and high street mainstay Russell & Bromley also entered administration proceedings, which is the British equivalent of bankruptcy for a business, with total debts of more than £59 million ($79 million USD) in January 2026, and has since closed more than 40 stores all over the country.
Leading Labels shuttering 15 stores, launching liquidation sales
Launched in 1993 out of the United Kingdom’s East Midlands region, discounter retailer Leading Labels sold brands such as Calvin Klein, Wrangler, and Crew Clothing at different outlet malls across the country.
Operating a peak number of 30 stores several years ago, Leading Labels is now preparing to close the remaining 15 after entering administration in May 2026, according to WirralGlobe.
The Companies House, the government agency in charge of incorporating and dissolving businesses in the U.K., in March 2026 issued Leading Labels a notice saying the company would be “struck off the register and dissolved not less than two months from the date shown above.”
Leading Labels, according to published records, had outstanding debts that had been overdue since November 2025, Drapers reported. A few of the overdue accounts dated back to 2024.
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Jeremy Bleazard of West Yorkshire-based XL Business Solutions Limited was appointed liquidator on May 26, according to local news outlet The Gazette.
With no change in the company’s financial status since then, the remaining operating Leading Labels stores are now in the middle of liquidation sales to sell off any remaining inventory.
Some of the locations include stores in Carlisle, Norwich, Evesham, and Ipswich. Stores are shuttered for good on a rolling basis as each runs out of stock.
Leading Labels
“Discounts typically deepen as a liquidation progresses”
“Discounts typically deepen as a liquidation progresses and stock thins out, so ranges, sizes, and the best-known brands sell through quickly,” a website established to advertise the sales reads. “Once a store’s stock is gone, that branch closes for good.”
The full list of inventory that can still be purchased is also available on the chain’s online website. Although liquidation sales are usually done exclusively through physical stores, Leading Labels has also been selling off remaining items online.
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The company has not commented on its financial situation or what has led to its liquidation.
Leading Labels built a loyal customer base over several decades, but as with many outlet chains in the 2020s, the chain lost its cost-cutting edge amid rising operational costs and high inflation flagged by CNBC. This led to many retailers raising prices to the point where they were no longer competitive.
U.S. outlet brands that have shuttered large numbers of stores since the start of 2026 include Grocery Outlet and Saks Off Fifth.
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