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Farewell, Claire’s: the place we pierced ears, bought glitter—and found tween happiness

Farewell, Claire’s: the place we pierced ears, bought glitter—and found tween happiness

As Claire’s enters administration again, mums say farewell to a high street icon that shaped so many childhoods.

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MadeForMums

Published: January 6, 2026 at 12:19 AM

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For many mums, Claire’s was never just a shop. It was where you spent your pocket money, dared each other to get your ears pierced, and came home with a plastic bag bursting with glittery treasures.

Now, that familiar pink storefront is facing an uncertain future once again. Claire’s is set to enter administration across the UK and Ireland, putting more than 1,300 jobs at risk and raising real questions about whether the brand can survive on the high street at all.

While stores are continuing to trade for now, the news feels like a quiet but emotional goodbye to a place that defined childhoods and teenage years for a whole generation.

What’s happening to Claire’s now?

Claire’s owner Modella Capital has confirmed the retailer will enter insolvency proceedings, alongside The Original Factory Shop, in a move designed to give both businesses time to find a buyer.

Claire’s currently has 154 stores and 1,355 staff across the UK and Ireland. Modella said the decision followed “alarming” Christmas trading and ongoing tough conditions for high street retailers.

“This has been a very tough decision,” the firm said. “We have worked intensively in an effort to save both businesses, having made last-ditch attempts to rescue them, but neither has a realistic possibility of trading profitably again.”

This latest development comes just months after Claire’s was rescued from administration in September, a deal that saved around 1,000 jobs but saw 145 stores close. Before that, in August, the chain collapsed into administration entirely, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk.

Why Claire’s mattered so much to our childhoods

If you grew up in the late 90s or early 2000s, chances are Claire’s was a non-negotiable stop on any shopping trip.

It was known for colourful hair bands, butterfly clips, friendship necklaces and lip glosses, plus its ear-piercing service that many of us remember with equal parts excitement and fear.

Caitlin, 21, summed up the feeling when speaking to the BBC last year: “It’s a part of my childhood personally.” She added that Claire’s felt irreplaceable because “it’s like a rainbow of things in there and I don’t think a kid’s going to be doing online shopping.”

That sense of wonder and independence, walking in with a few pounds and leaving with a bag of treasures, is something many mums now recognise as a rite of passage.

From tween heaven to struggling to keep up

Claire’s challenges are not new. The brand has struggled to compete with online giants and fast fashion retailers that move quickly on trends and sell accessories at rock-bottom prices.

Retail analysts have pointed to the rise of TikTok and Instagram shops, as well as competitors like Shein and Temu, as changing how young people shop.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, previously said the popularity of Claire’s had “waned”, with younger shoppers increasingly drawn to brands they discover online rather than on the high street.

Even so, Claire’s tried to keep its magic alive with multibuy deals, lucky dip bags and walls of brightly coloured accessories, a formula that once made it feel like heaven to younger shoppers.

Why this news hits mums particularly hard

For today’s mums, Claire’s is wrapped up in memories of friendship, growing up and finding your style for the first time. It is also a place many have taken their own children, whether for hair accessories, party bits or that all-important first piercing.

The possible loss of Claire’s feels like another small piece of the high street disappearing, along with the simple joys that came with it.

While stores remain open for now and administrators look for options, the mood is undeniably nostalgic. Whether or not a buyer steps in, Claire’s place in our collective memory is secure.

It may not always have been cool, and we may have outgrown the glitter and rainbow shelves, but for a generation of mums, Claire’s will always be remembered as the shop where growing up felt exciting, colourful and just a little bit magical.

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