Claire's (formerly known as Claire's Boutiques, Claire's Boutique and Claire's Accessories) is an American retailer of accessories, jewelry, and toys primarily aimed towards tween and teen girls, and young women.It was founded in 1961 and is based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.[2] The company is primarily owned by Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital,[3] but, in 2022, announced plans to go public with an initial public offering.[4]
As of, Claire's had 3,469 stores in 37 countries.[5] Claire's claims it has done more ear piercings than any other retailer, totaling at over 100 million in 25+ years.[6]
History
In 1961, Rowland Schaefer founded Fashion Tress Industries, a company that sold wigs and became the world's largest retailer for fashion wigs.[7] In 1973, Fashion Tress acquired Claire's, a 25-store jewelry chain, and began shifting its focus towards a line of fashion jewelry and accessories under the new name, Claire's Accessories, Inc.[7] Claire's Accessories began providing ear piercing services in 1978 and, in 1980, established a Hong Kong-based sourcing office.
During the 1980s, Claire's Accessories opened new stores throughout the United States and bought Topkapi, a Japanese chain of 16 stores, in 1989.[7] Claire's Accessories continued acquiring companies in the 1990s, including Bow Bangles — a British chain with 71 stores in England, Wales, and Scotland — in 1995; two American chains, The Icing (85 stores) and Accessory Place (31 stores), in 1996;[7] and Bijoux One, a Swiss chain, in 1998.[8] The Icing would become the company's primary brand for women in their 20s.[7] In 1999, Claire's purchased Cleopatre, a chain in Paris with 42 stores, for $11 million cash,[9] as well the American chain, Afterthoughts.
Afterthoughts stores were converted to Icing stores after they were purchased.[10] In 1997, the business changed its name to Claire's. In 2001, claires.com was launched.
In 2002, the company purchased the US-based clothing chain Mr. Rags.[11]
Claire's was a publicly-traded company listed on the NASDAQ in 2005, but was taken private by the private equity firm Apollo Global Management in a $3.1 billion leveraged buyout in 2007.[12] In 2008, Claire's consolidated its European operations into one group with headquarters in Birmingham. The first stores in Ukraine were opened in 2010. In 2011, e-commerce operations were launched in the United States, alongside the opening of stores in India and Mexico.In 2012, Claire's expanded its international presence by opening its first stores in China, Italy, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Honduras.
In 2018, Claire's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S., with plans to shed a majority of its debt. The company blamed a decline in consumer demand and online and physical competition as a result of the decision. The company planned to shutter nearly 100 underperforming locations as it tried to eliminate debt with the help of Elliott Investment Management and Monarch Alternative Capital.[13][14][15][16][17] By 2022, Claire's had exited bankruptcy, announced preliminary sales growth for fiscal year 2021 of 53% on revenue of $1.4 billion, and announced plans for an initial public offering.[4] The company's new strategy involves shuttering stores in underperforming locations in favor of "prestige" malls, as well as setting up kiosk shops within drug and grocery store chains.[4]
On July 9, 2025, Claire's warned that it would be considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for its U.S. operations for the second time in 7 years.The company blamed declining consumer demand, rising import costs caused by President Donald Trump's U.S. tariffs and heavy debt as a result of the decision.Houlihan Lokey, an investment banking services company, is negotiating with Claire's to improve financing and explore the sale of some or all of its assets, including international operations.While Claire's had interested buyers for its European operations, they have refused to identify names as the information is "confidential".[18] On July 24, 2025, Claire's put its French operations in receivership by the Paris Commercial Court.[19]
By August 4, 2025, it was reported that Claire's had failed to pay rent at many of its locations throughout June and July. The company also warned that a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing could happen as soon as the end of the week.[20] On August 5, 2025, Claire's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in seven years, listing assets and liabilities between $1 billion to $10 billion, while also filing creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in Canada.[21][22] Claire's announced the closure of 18 stores, mostly located in dead malls, with stores to close by September 7. That same day, as part of a deal with a liquidation firm, Claire's announced the closure of all of its 1,326 US locations across both its namesake and Icing brands, unless a buyer was found for both brands. Liquidation sales were expected to start within a few weeks and stores were expected to close by October 31.[23]
On August 6, 2025, Claire's announced the definite closure of 700 locations nationwide, including all of its namesake stores located in Walmart stores, as well as the discontinuation of the Icing brand.[24] Without a buyer, the company was to move toward liquidating its entire North American footprint of roughly 1,500 stores.[25] On 13 August 2025, Claire's went into administration in the United Kingdom and Ireland and filed for bankruptcy in Belgium.Its German, Italian and Austrian divisions were also expected to file for bankruptcy and wind down operations,[26][27] putting over 2,150 jobs at risk across 306 stores.[28][29] On August 20, the company announced it would sell the North American business and IP to private equity firm Ames Watson Capital.[30] As part of the deal, 235 Claire's and 56 Icing stores, for a total of 291 locations, were to close by September 7, 2025.The company deemed the stores as underperforming to keep operating.[31] Both Modella Capital - who purchased the high street retail and online businesses of WHSmith for £40m in June 2025 - and Doug Putman - whose company Sunrise Records took over operations of HMV in 2019 - made offers to purchase Claire's UK and Irish operations.Modella bought the UK and Irish operations on 29 September 2025.[32][33]
On September 19, 2025, it was announced that investment firm Ames Watson Capital had completed the purchase of the Claire's North American business and the IP for $140 million, with the intention of keeping some of the retailer's stores open.[34][35]
In January 2026, the UK side of Claire's, owned by Modella Capital, went into administration again, with staff at risk of redundancy.[36]
Hoffman Estates, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago): Global HQ, North America HQ, North America Distribution Center[37][38][39]
Birmingham: Europe HQ, Europe Distribution Center
Hong Kong: Sourcing & Buying, International Distribution Center[40]
Pembroke Pines, Florida (a suburb of Miami): Accounting
Paris: Field Support
Madrid: Field Support
Illinois office
Claire's has its Illinois offices in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.[41][42] The facility is a brown brick building off of Interstate 90,[40][43] near Barrington Road.[43] The building serves as Claire's distribution center and main facility, and all merchandise is routed through this facility.Its products, which, as of 1996, are mainly imported, are distributed and marketed through the Hoffman Estates location.[40] The company's buying, distribution, and marketing divisions are in the Hoffman Estates facility. As of 1996, 236 full-time employees and several temporary employees worked in the facility.
Store types
Claire's stores average about 1,000 square feet, are typically located in malls and shopping centers, and carry the widest selection of merchandise among Claire's brands. Merchandise is targeted at different age groups ranging from children to young adults. Customers can find earrings, necklaces, bracelets, purses, hair accessories, fashion accessories, stuffed animals, makeup, and licensed merchandise. Stores are merchandised to accommodate different ages, and fashion trends are manipulated to appeal to all ages. Toys "R" Us also included a Claire's section for preteen and teenage girls.
In North America, Claire's also operates under the Icing brand, targeted toward older teens and young women aged 19–28. The merchandise is more expensive and has a more sophisticated look. Most items include accessories and jewelry, but merchandise also includes items such as candles, mineral-based cosmetics, birthday accessories, bachelorette and wedding accessories, and footwear. Icing typically does not offer licensed merchandise.[50]
Merchandise
Claire's sells fashion accessories that are geared towards children, tweens, teens, and young adults. Costume jewelry, imitation gemstone and pearl jewelry, licensed merchandise, body jewelry, hair accessories, make-up, stuffed animals and clothing items are available for purchase; Claire's also carries its own range of perfumes.
The store's merchandise is often divided into sections. Claire's Club is a line of jewelry and accessories aimed at children under seven years old, featuring designs inspired by princesses, fairies, unicorns and mermaids, among other motifs. The rest of the store is aimed at tweens, teens and young adults.
Claire's also carries an assortment of seasonal holiday items, such as for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, and Christmas.
Some locations offer ear piercing, as all staff are fully trained in using a Studex piercing gun to conduct both ear and cartilage piercings. Claire's starts piercing customers at the age of four months with their immunizations and does not pierce the cartilage of people under 14 years of age.
Asbestos recalls
Claire's have been subject to numerous cases of alleged "asbestos presence" in its products.These traces have been found in products containing talcum powder, a naturally occurring silicate substance.Talcum powder has been known to contain traces of asbestos, a recognized human carcinogen.On March 5, 2019, Claire's stated that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believed some of the company's products may have been contaminated with asbestos.Claire's stated that the FDA had "mis-characterized fibers in the products as asbestos, in direct contradiction to established EPA and USP criterion for classifying asbestos fibers".[51]
On March 11, 2019, the FDA tested more Claire's products, indicating "the possible presence of asbestos".[52] The affected products were sold between October 2016 to March 2019. In response to the FDA claim, Claire's stated they continue to have confidence in the safety of their products, however also issued a voluntary recall and advised consumers to discontinue use. On May 30, 2019, a JoJo Siwa cosmetic kit was voluntarily recalled due to the FDA warning consumers of "the possible presence of asbestos". The powder eyeshadow element of the kit was affected due to the possible presence of "trace amounts of asbestos fibers". Claire's stated these trace amounts were acceptable by European and Canadian cosmetic regulations, and they had ended the use of talcum powder in its products.
The company still "continues to have confidence in the safety and composition of its products" and "is not aware of any adverse reactions, injuries or illness caused by the possible presence of asbestos in the recalled products". Siwa posted a video informing her audience that Claire's would accept refunds of products new and used, stating she puts her "trust into other people's hands" with her products and was working to recall items from all shelves.[53]
8.Altaner, David. "CLAIRE'S BUYS SWISS CHAIN; 53-STORE BIJOUX ONE EXPANDS COMPANY'S EUROPEAN BASE."Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. November 12, 1998. Business 3D. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "Claire's Stores based in Pembroke Pines, said on Wednesday that it bought a Swiss women's accessory chain, Bijoux One, that it expects to use as an entry into[...]"^
37."Contact Us." Claire's Stores. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "HEADQUARTERS FLORIDA OFFICE: Claire's Stores, Inc. 3 S.W. 129th Avenue Pembroke Pines, FL 33027[...]ILLINOIS OFFICE: Claire's Stores, Inc. 2400 West Central Road Hoffman Estates, IL 60192"^
38."Registration No. 333-."Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved on June 21, 2013. " 2400 West Central Road Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 [...] (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)"^
40.Mann, Leslie. "Hot Stuff."Chicago Tribune. December 14, 1997. (Retrieved 2019-04-10.) "Since 1973, Schaefer has been commuting from his offices in Pembroke Pines, Fla., to the company's main facility and distribution center, first located in Wood Dale and now in Hoffman Estates. (The company also has offices in New York and Hong Kong.)"^
41."Northwest Briefs."Daily Herald. August 15, 1998. Business 1. Retrieved on December 24, 2011. "Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based Claire's owns several retail chains that sell accessories and clothes for teenagers. Claire's has Hoffman Estates operations."^
42."Disney exec named Claire's CEO."Crain's Chicago Business. June 6, 2012. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "The Hoffman Estates-based purveyor of fashion jewelry and accessories for teens had been without a permanent chief executive since January, when Eugene Kahn resigned."^
43.Russis, Martha. "PFIZER FINDS BUYER FOR ITS HEADQUARTERS."Chicago Tribune. January 13, 1995. METRO NORTHWEST p. 3. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "Jewelry retailer Claire's Boutiques Inc. has bought the expansive Pfizer headquarters building along the Northwest Tollway near Barrington Road, a Pfizer representative said Thursday. Pfizer spokesman Andy McCormick said the headquarters was sold early this month for $7.4 million as part of the company's move to consolidate its distribution operations to Memphis. [...] The Hoffman Estates building at 2400 Central Rd. has 247,000 square feet of space. Claire's Boutiques' national headquarters is now in Wood Dale at 1501 N.[...]"^
44.Wallace, Diana. "Claire's unveils plans for large expansion in Hoffman Estates."Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois). March 18, 1998. News p. 4. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "Claire's, the women's accessories giant, is planning an expansion expected to double the number of employees at its Hoffman Estates distribution center over the next two years. Plans for a 275,000-square-foot warehouse and two-story office-building addition to the shipping headquarters located at 2400 W. Central Road were unveiled to Hoffman Estates trustees this week for a preliminary review. The expansion would more than double the space at the site,[...]"^
46."Contact Us." Claire's Stores Inc. Retrieved on December 24, 2011. "FLORIDA OFFICE: Claire's Stores, Inc. 3 S.W. 129th Avenue Pembroke Pines, FL 33027" and "ILLINOIS OFFICE: Claire's Stores, Inc. 2400 West Central Road Hoffman Estates, IL 60192"^
47."CLAIRE'S MOVES OFFICES TO PINES."South Florida Sun-Sentinel. October 12, 1990. p. 3D. Retrieved on June 20, 2013. "Claire's Stores, a fashion accessories retailer, moved its headquarters this week from north Dade County to Pembroke Pines. "We outgrew our headquarters," chief financial officer Howard Kaplan said. The retailer had 10,000 square feet in Dade and has 26,000 square feet at its new site at 3 SW 129th Ave., west of the intersection of Pines Boulevard and Flamingo Road."^
49."FAQ ." Claire's. Retrieved on December 25, 2011. "Claire's Stores, Inc. has its investor relations and customer service located in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The buying, marketing and distribution offices are located in Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago. Please visit Contact Us if you would like to send correspondence to our corporate headquarters."^
Leslie Mann of the Chicago Tribune said that the facility "contrasts with Claire's glittery stores in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and Japan."[40] Mann added, "Except for the prototype store in the lobby and the fashion accessories that line the walls of the buyers' offices, the center is unremarkable."[40]
A facility in Wood Dale, Illinois, used to serve the purposes now held by the Hoffman Estates office.[40] In early January 1995, Pfizer sold its Hoffman Estates headquarters building for $7.4 million to Claire's so it could consolidate its operations in Memphis, Tennessee.At the time, the Hoffman Estates office had 247000 sqft of space.[43] In 1998, Claire's announced plans to build a two-story office building and a 275000 sqft warehouse at the Hoffman Estates site.This would double the total amount of space at the Illinois site.[44]
Florida office
Its Florida office in Pembroke Pines, Florida, in Greater Miami.[45][46] The Florida offices are west of the intersection of Flamingo Road and Pines Boulevard.It has 26000 sqft of space in its Florida offices.[47] The current CEO for Claire's is Ryan Vero[48] As of 1997 the CEO has his office in Pembroke Pines.[40] In addition, the company's customer service and investor relations divisions are located in the Pembroke Pines offices.[49] In November 1990 Claire's moved its Florida offices from northern Dade County to Pembroke Pines.The former headquarters in Dade County had 10000 sqft of space.[47]
