Fashion chain Leading Labels has launched clearance sales at all 15 of its stores, including two in Scotland, after the company entered administration. The retailer, which was founded in York in 1993, is set to disappear from the high street permanently once all stock is sold.
Stores in Scotland and across the UK
The brand currently operates 15 stores across the nation, with two located in Scotland. These are based in the Antonine Shopping Centre in Cumbernauld and on the shores of Loch Lomond in Balloch. The remaining stores are in Basildon, Bolton, Boston, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Cleethorpes, Evesham, Hornsea, Ipswich, Kidderminster, Lincoln, Norwich, and Stevenage.
At the height of its success, the company was said to operate 30 "well-established out-of-town and in-town" outlets, employing over 200 people. The business sold big name brands at discounted prices.
Clearance sales and stock details
Clearance sales have now been launched at each store in a bid to remove all stock. It is currently unclear what discounts will be available at each store. However, the high street firm did advise that "discounts typically deepen as a liquidation progresses and stock thins out" - but stock can sell out fast.
Shoppers can expect to find menswear and womenswear from major leading fashion brands that were already discounted ahead of the clearance sale. These include Calvin Klein, Regatta, TOG24, Crew Clothing, and Ben Sherman.
Administration and reasons for decline
Leading Labels called in administrators on May 26, 2026. Information on the public Companies House website confirms that Jeremy Bleazard of XL Business Solutions Ltd was appointed as the official administrator.
The company released a statement on its website explaining the liquidation process, citing a change in consumer habits post-Covid as the reason for its decline. Factors the firm has been hit by include weaker consumer spending, rising costs, and intense competition from the likes of Shein and Temu.
In 2021, investment firm Quantuma oversaw a sale of the discounter which saw it snapped up by Baaj Capital, a UK turnaround firm that was also behind brands including Bodycare and The Original Factory Shop. The business continued to trade and even opened more stores, but a statement confirmed that the chain "ultimately could not overcome the structural pressures facing bricks-and-mortar discount fashion."
Closure and impact
The latest collapse follows an earlier strike-off notice and overdue accounts at Companies House, with the brand also failing to file accounts due in November 2025. Following the appointment of an administrator, the clothing retailer's website was officially closed down and is no longer available.
Shoppers are now being advised that once the clearance stock is gone, the stores will permanently shutter. Once all stores close, it will mark the end of a popular fashion retailer that has been on the high street for more than three decades. It will join a host of fellow brands that have disappeared lately including L.K Bennett, Radley, and Quiz Clothing.
