Claire’s shops across the UK could face closure after the retailer filed for administration.
The jewellery and accessories business filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on Wednesday – with Interpath expected to take on the role in the coming days.
The move will raise fears over the future of its 306 stores, with 278 across the UK and 28 in Ireland.
The potential closures mean 2,150 jobs could be at risk.
For now, Claire’s shops remain open after Interpath confirmed in a statement on Wednesday evening it appointed Will Wright and Chris Pole as joint administrators.
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It comes after Claire’s US and Canada commenced court-supervised restructuring proceedings after filing for bankruptcy. Separate proceedings are already ongoing in Germany and Austria.
Chris Cramer, chief executive of Claire’s, said: ‘This decision, while difficult, is part of our broader effort to protect the long-term value of Claire’s across all markets.
‘In the UK, taking this step will allow us to continue to trade the business while we explore the best possible path forward. We are deeply grateful to our employees, partners and our customers during this challenging period.’
How many Claire’s stores could close?
With more than 300 stores in the UK and Ireland, all four nations could be impacted by store closures.
Below is a full list of how many Claire’s shops could be at risk of closure across each region in the UK and Ireland.
- London and Greater London – 20
- North East – 9
- North West – 27
- Yorkshire – 21
- East Midlands – 17
- West Midlands – 25
- South East – 49
- East of England – 25
- South West – 27
- Scotland – 27
- Wales – 17
- Ireland – 10
Why are so many shops closing in 2025?
Claire’s has more than 280 stores across the UK, but the business incurred losses of around £25million over the last few years prompting it to file for administration.
Sean Moran, restructuring and insolvency partner at law firm, Shakespeare Martineau, said the rise of new online stories, the popularity of social media platforms, and US President Donald Trump’s recent tariff hikes could all be factors in the retailer’s demise.
He told Metro: ‘The fashion and accessories space has been flooded with new competition in recent years.
‘From new online stores pushing the boundaries of fast fashion prices, like Shein and Temu, which benefit from low value import loopholes, to entirely new retail platforms surging in popularity, like Instagram and TikTok, the retailers largely ‘bricks and mortar’ presence has struggled to compete.
‘Ongoing geopolitical considerations, including Trump’s much publicised tariff onslaught, combined with a general downturn in consumer and high street spending, created a perfect storm for the well-loved brand.’
Claire’s is the latest wave of British high street retailers closing with dozens of shops to close in August.
Arts and crafts store Hobbycraft recently announced it would be closing nine more stores this year as the company continues to go through a restructuring process.
Supermarket chain Morrisons revealed it axed more than 3,600 jobs after closing 17 of its stores last year.
Meanwhile, River Island was close to meeting the same fate as Claire’s but was saved from collapsing into administration.
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