The number of bankruptcies in German retail is higher than it has been for years. Between August 2024 and August 2025, Allianz Trade registered 2,490 bankruptcies. This is the highest level since October 2016, the credit insurer said. In the previous twelve months the number was 2,520.
In this country, the most recently affected were the shoe retailer Görtz, the fashion manufacturer Gerry Weber and the men’s outfitter Wormland. The fashion chain Esprit closed all stores this year due to bankruptcy. The decoration retailer Depot and the discounter Kodi have significantly reduced their branch networks.
Guillaume Dejean, industry expert at Allianz Trade, expects continued consolidation in the retail sector and further rising insolvency figures – albeit at a slower pace. This development has already become apparent in the past few months. In August 2025, the numbers rose by 13 percent year-on-year, and by 20 percent a year earlier. The experts attribute this to slightly better economic prospects.
“Fight that is partly reminiscent of David versus Goliath”
Retail is one of the particularly stressed sectors in Europe. Looking abroad gives hope: According to Allianz Trade, the number of bankruptcies has recently fallen significantly in the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Norway and Denmark.
“Retail is still grappling with the profound changes to its business model that began during the pandemic,” says Dejean. In order to withstand increased competition from large online marketplaces, retailers would have to invest more in digital channels and modern technology, among other things. Smaller players in particular would often find it difficult to cope with this. “This is a fight that is partly reminiscent of David versus Goliath.” Some textile retailers were already hanging by a thread.