Troubled footwear retailer Moda in Pelle has been served with a winding-up petition related to unpaid debts following reports that the company was reviewing its financial position, Retail Week has learned.
HM Revenue and Customs issued a notice last week to MIP Employees 1975, which is one of the companies under the Moda in Pelle umbrella and is responsible for the brand’s payroll.
A spokesperson for HMRC told Retail Week: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we’ve exhausted all other options, to protect taxpayers’ money.”
The winding-up petition follows an earlier report from Retail Week that Moda in Pelle’s majority owners had appointed advisers to “actively review the company’s financial position, including its solvency”.
In a series of emails, dated April 29, 2026, two representatives of Moda in Pelle’s HR team said the business is “currently reviewing its financial position with external advisers”.
The emails went on to say that the company was not “currently in a formal insolvency process” but that “the directors are taking professional advice and are actively reviewing the company’s financial position, including its solvency”.
The emails also said: “The current uncertainty applies to all outstanding payments, including statutory redundancy pay, notice pay, and any accrued holiday pay.”
Moda in Pelle was founded by Buck in 1975. It had several owners before being bought out of administration in a pre-pack deal by Buck in 2017, before he sold his majority stake to GlobalTech Corporation last year.
The retailer continues to trade from nine standalone stores and 19 concessions, including six John Lewis department stores.
Moda in Pelle has been contacted for comment.
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