Altares data suggests record optical business failures in 2026

According to the Altares barometer, the French optical retail sector recorded 125 insolvency procedures (liquidations, reorganizations, and safeguards) in the first three quarters of 2026. This includes 44 procedures in the third quarter alone, comprising 26 judicial liquidations, 16 reorganizations, and 2 safeguards. The total exceeds the 106 procedures logged during the same period in 2025. Since 2025 marked the highest annual failure rate since Altares began tracking the sector in 2016 with 157 cases, maintaining this pace in the fourth quarter would result in a new record for 2026. Among the 42 failing businesses excluding safeguards, only 24 had published recent accounts; these showed a median revenue of €230,000 and an average of €350,000, with half reporting deficits.