The BBC has reported that the past couple of years has felt like battle after battle for retailers. Not only the Covid pandemic, but the soaring cost of energy, staff shortages and rising wage bills made business tough. That has been topped off by an economic downturn, that is prompting shoppers to rein in their spending and rail strikes that are keeping them at home.
As a result there were a series of high profile failures in 2022 including Made.com, Sofa Workshop, M&Co and Joules.
Yet Frasers Group, which also owns Sports Direct, is turning a strong profit under a new chief executive, and opened 12 new Flannels stores in 2022, with further sites planned, including in Blackpool and Leeds.
Others are defying the downturn too. Monsoon, which went into administration in the first lockdown, is back on its feet and opening 22 new shops. Marks & Spencer, is opening new branches as well as closing some, as part of a shake up aimed at creating fewer but better main stores. And new independent shops are popping up in many towns and cities.
Even the brands that went under in 2022 have for the most part been snapped up by bigger chains that believe they still have commercial potential.
The year ended with what felt like the first normal Christmas since Covid struck.
The cost of living crisis has put huge pressure on retailers to keep prices low, but that isn't bad news for everyone.
Primark and Poundland - another two chains rolling out new branches - are among those reaping the rewards of a trend to "trade down" or shop somewhere less expensive than usual.
Primark's tie-up with Greggs to produce Christmas jumpers with sausage rolls on them, promoted by the singer Lewis Capaldi, prompted a lively response online. Even without its own online sales operation, Primark boasts more followers than most of its rivals, and its website crashed last month when it made its first moves into offering click and collect.
Poundland has more than half a million followers on its Facebook group, showing off what it has in store and encouraging shoppers to comment on products, join in challenges and chat among themselves.
Increasing numbers of brands are getting this right, especially among small independent retailers, like the hot chocolate chain Knoops, which has opened seven branches across the south-east of England and plans to double that.
Flannels is aiming its "new luxury" expressly at the younger shopper, with an in-house bootcamp, a beauty room where you can try out products, and Botox treatment available on-site.
The big name designer wares sold within Flannels stores is Frasers Group's way of buying its way into premium lifestyle, an area of spending that does not seem to be hit as hard during a recession.
Even Marks & Spencer, which for years was accused of not knowing who it was aiming to please, seems to be getting that right now. But M&S has also benefited from the clear out of other department stores like BHS and Debenhams.
Another brand doing "tremendously well" is Next, hoovering up brands, like Joules and Made.com that have gone under, selling their products on their own "marketplace".
