A popular British men’s apparel brand, known as Big Boys, has recently shut down operations after facing financial difficulties, leading to administration. The company, officially named Great Clothing Ltd, specialized in offering plus-size clothing for men ranging from 2XL to 10XL. Situated in Leeds, the retailer employed an average of 12 staff members throughout 2025.
Chris Brooksbank from CB Business Recovery Ltd has been appointed as the administrator for the company. A statement on the Big Boys website explained that despite extensive efforts to overcome financial challenges, the decision to cease trading was unavoidable. An insolvency practice has been engaged to handle the company’s affairs, with the appointed Insolvency Practitioner set to take on the role of administrator soon.
In other retail news, River Island has proceeded with the closure of at least 27 stores this month as part of a restructuring strategy. The struggling fashion brand had previously announced the closure of 33 stores, with locations in Brighton, Edinburgh Princes Street, Great Yarmouth, and Stockton-on-Tees already shut down towards the end of 2025. Additional stores in Norwich, Norfolk, and Workington, Cumbria are also included in the closure plan, albeit with unconfirmed closure dates.
Moreover, River Island is reducing rents at 71 other stores as part of the restructuring efforts. Before the plan was approved in court in August, the clothing chain operated 223 stores across the UK and Ireland.
On a similar note, Poundland is set to close 12 stores in January following approval from the High Court as part of its restructuring initiative. The discount retailer had closed 57 stores by the end of the previous September after being acquired by investment firm Gordon Brothers for a nominal fee. Poundland, which previously had 800 branches, now anticipates reducing its store count to approximately 650 to 700 through closures and natural lease expirations. Additionally, the company is implementing a new pricing structure of £1, £2, £3 for its UK stores, with 60% of grocery items priced at £1, 20% at £2, and 20% at £3. Poundland has also updated its website to offer product browsing only, discontinuing online purchases for customers.