British high street favourite Ted Baker is closing all 31 of its remaining stores in a devastating blow to the British fashion industry as well as the 513 employees in the U.K and 78 in Ireland who will be affected.

Known for its quirky décor and novel approach to advertising,Ted Baker started life as a single menswear store in Glasgow back in 1988 and grew into a global lifestyle brand with over 500 stores and concessions worldwide.

Once a jewel in the British fashion industry’s crown, the brand suffered a tidal wave of problems in recent years. Back in 2018 founder Ray Kelvin, who led the brand to success, was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a number of staff and a petition to end the culture of ‘hugs’ in the office, received over 2000 signatures. As a result, Kelvin stepped down in 2019. The company was subsequently forced into laying off over a quarter of its workforce as the pandemic took hold and the appetite for the smart casual style of clothing that the company excelled at, declined. Brexit related woes have seen the British retail sector struggle to recover as soaring inflation and rising interest rates collide.

Ted Baker is far from the only British brand to face difficulties in 2024. Celebrity favourite The Vampires Wife was another shock closure back in May and in the same month Rokskanda teetered on the brink of bankruptcy before being bought out by The Brand Group. On the high street, both The Body Shop and Collectif have closed their doors this year, highlighting the acute pain points of running a business in an isolated trading region.