Insolvency appointments across Australia’s retail sector surged in the December 2025 quarter, rising 37 per cent compared to the December 2024 quarter.
This is according to new data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which also shows retail recorded the highest jump in insolvencies year-on-year.
In the December 2025 quarter, total retail insolvencies hit 455. This is up from 282 in the December 2024 quarter, and up from 212 recorded in the December 2023 quarter.
The other industries reporting lifts in insolvencies between December 2024 and December 2025 quarters were arts and recreation services (up by 9), electricity, gas, water and waste services (up by 6), financial and insurance services (up by 16), manufacturing (up by 39) and wholesale trade (up by 29).
Despite retail’s jump in insolvencies, the construction sector still appears to be the most affected industry. In the December 2025 quarter, construction insolvencies hit 1,145. This was followed by accommodation and food services (678), then other services (465) and then retail.
This all comes amid elevated numbers in insolvencies across the board, with total insolvencies in the month of December 2025 alone jumping 20 per cent year-on-year to 1,722.
The overall retail industry contributes $444 billion and employs a workforce of 1.4 million people. Fashion makes up a decent chunk of this, contributing around $28 billion.