Claire's 'on the brink of collapse' as high street favourite calls in administrators

13 August 2025, 17:18

By Alice Dear

Administrators are 'assessing options' for the future of Claire's.

Claire's, a UK high-street staple since 1995, is said to be "on the brink of collapse" after struggling with sales, due to online competition.

The retailers, best known for ear-piercings and selling a range of accessories, currently has 278 stores in the UK and 28 in Ireland, with the recent update putting 2,150 jobs at risk.

Claire's will continue trading as normal across their stores as administrators at Interfaith (to be appointed) "assess options for the company".

Interpath chief executive Will Wright said options include "exploring the possibility of a sale" which "would secure a future for this well-loved brand".

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This fresh blow for the UK high street comes weeks after Claire's US filed for bankruptcy, but like the UK stores, it will keep operating as normal until an "alternative future is found."

Claire's came to the UK in 1995 by buying Bow Bangles, giving it 48 stores right away. It grew fast, hitting around 465 shops by 2010, but competition and changing shopping habits meant that number dropped to about 370 by 2018, around the time its US parent went bankrupt.

In the 2020s, Claire's leaned more on concessions with places like Asda and Matalan, which helped it show up in almost 1,250 locations even though it only had about 300 standalone stores.

Now, in 2025, it has 281 UK shops but is facing £355 million in debt, which has a payback deadline of December 2026.

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