Claire’s Accessories to Reopen After Folding

In an unexpected turn of events, it seems that failed jewellery firm, Claire’s, is set to return to UK high streets mere weeks after collapsing into administration.

The well-known accessory shop closed all 154 of its stores and laid 1,300 staff off after a buyer wasn’t found to take on the ailing business. Owners, Modella Capital had previously swooped to rescue the company in August 2025, only to place it back into administration just a few months later after poor Christmas trading figures prompted them to cut their losses.

Indeed, at the time a spokesperson for Claire’s said that they had “worked intensively” in an effort to save the business, but that it didn’t have “a realistic possibility of trading profitably again. In these circumstances, administration is the only option.”

Given these words, it’s a surprise to see Claire’s set to trade again so soon.

What’s changed?

Julien Jarjoura has revealed that he’s taking the reins of the failed brand, and the French businessman has plenty of experience to lean on, having operated the French, Portuguese, Spanish and Austrian divisions of the company already.

His plans to open new stores on the UK high street have been given the green light by Ames Watson, the US-based owner of the brand as they look to reverse years of financial downturn.

“A lot of people think Claire’s is a British brand. It is extremely famous in the UK and there is no way it is going away”, the entrepreneur stated. Adding that, from June, he intends to reopen between four and ten branches a week.

Why do they expect the fortune of Claire’s to be different now?

Some things will be different about the relaunched Claire’s.

First off, they’re only planning on reopening 50 branches to begin with. This is in contrast to the 154 stores that recently closed. It’s assumed that these new stores will be in the best-performing locations, with the biggest historical strugglers missing out.

Secondly, Jarjoura has identified a problem with Claire’s previous store offerings.

While services such as ear piercing will remain, the accessories and jewellery they stock will take a different approach. “There will definitely be some brand repositioning” remarked Jarjoura. “We are not a discount store but we like to sell stuff at a fair price”.

Indeed, the businessman declined to buy any old stock from the administrators and now plans to stock new items that start from just under £2, as well as others up to £100. He’s also under no illusion that it may “take a bit of time to bring back the customers”, especially those used to heavy discounting and offers such as ‘buy three, get four’.

“Doing the same again would only deliver similar results”

Forbes Burton’s resident business insolvency expert, Ben Westoby, has welcomed the return of a high street name that was thought lost only weeks ago. “It’s great to see a big-name brand spared from oblivion, and hopefully some of the workers that Modello Capital let go of can find employment in one of the new stores.

“What’s encouraging about Jarjoura’s takeover is that he’s not looking to keep Claire’s operating as it was. He’s already identified issues with the previous business model and realised that doing the same again would only deliver similar results. The kind of discount accessories Claire’s sold before are difficult to shift in the age of Shein, Temu, and other Chinese retailers, so a move slightly upmarket makes sense.

“Whether Claire’s succeeds in repositioning itself, however, is another story. That being said, few would argue that changes have to be made in order to have any chance of success.”

Is your business finding conditions difficult?

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Call today on 0800 060 8505 or email advice@forbesburton.com for a free consultation with one of our expert advisers and find out how we can help business owners navigate an uncertain future.