(Sorry - my post crossed with G6Tanuki's)
Unfortunately the writing was on the wall in October:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/1...ns_for_maplin/
With restriction of credit insurance Maplin's cashflow would have been very difficult to manage. Their suppliers would not have been able to insure bad debts from Maplin and so would demand quicker payments.
I loved having Maplin around for bits and pieces in the earlier days but a high-street reseller of single resistors was never viable. I have bought a few silly Christmas presents for my brother there more recently though!