Claire's to Return to UK High Streets with 50 Stores After French Operator Steps In

Key facts

• Claire's closed all 154 standalone UK and Ireland stores on 27 April, with over 1,300 redundancies.
• French entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura, owner of Une Ligne, plans to reopen about 50 UK stores from June.
• Jarjoura already operates around 240 Claire's stores across France, Austria, Portugal, and Spain.
• The brand's US owner, Ames Watson, has granted Jarjoura permission to open UK stores.
• Jarjoura aims to reopen 4 to 10 stores per week and has hired former Claire's UK executives.
• New jewellery and accessories will start at £1.90 and can exceed £100, with ear-piercing services continuing.
• Claire's UK business will be debt-free, funded by Jarjoura, with no immediate profit expected.
• The chain first entered the UK in 1996 through the acquisition of Bow Jangles.

A Sudden Revival After a Brutal Collapse

Just days after Claire's shuttered its last standalone stores in the UK and Ireland, a French entrepreneur has announced plans to resurrect the accessories chain on British high streets. Julien Jarjoura, who already runs the brand's operations in France, Austria, Portugal, and Spain, said he will reopen approximately 50 stores from June onward. The move comes as a surprise reversal for a brand that had fallen into administration twice in a year, culminating in the closure of 154 stores and the loss of more than 1,300 jobs on 27 April. Jarjoura, who first attempted to buy Claire's in January, described the brand as "basically dead" in the UK and said he aims to "bring it back to life."

A French Entrepreneur's Bet on a Fallen Brand

Jarjoura, the founder of jewellery company Une Ligne, which sells online and through museum stores including the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, said he has secured the blessing of Claire's US owner, Ames Watson, to open stores in the UK. He is currently signing new leases with British landlords and has already hired some of Claire's former UK executives. "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," Jarjoura told the Guardian. He plans to revamp stores, continue ear-piercing services, and introduce new jewellery and accessories ranging from £1.90 to over £100. The brand will undergo "some brand repositioning," he said, adding: "We are not a discount store but we like to sell stuff at a fair price."

The Perfect Storm That Sank Claire's

Claire's had been struggling for years, facing competition from cheaper online retailers like Shein and Temu, as well as from bricks-and-mortar rivals such as Primark and Superdrug. Changing consumer tastes also played a role: fashion expert Priya Raj noted that teens have moved away from the "novelty, colourful jewellery" Claire's was known for, favouring minimal, curated looks influenced by social media. The brand's owners, Modella Capital, said in January that "alarmingly" low Christmas trading had left the company in a "vulnerable" position. They also blamed government policy for raising staffing costs, including National Insurance Contributions, creating a "challenging" high-street environment. Administrators Kroll confirmed that all standalone stores ceased trading on 27 April, with 350 concessions remaining open for now.

A Debt-Free Start and a Long Road to Profit

Jarjoura said the UK business will be debt-free, as he is funding it himself and does not expect immediate profits. "We need to invest in the business," he said. "We are not unrealistic in terms of getting benefits from this company for three to five years." He acknowledged that the brand had been damaged in the UK and that it would "take a bit of time to bring back the customers," particularly those accustomed to heavy discounting such as "buy three get four" offers. He has not taken on Claire's former head office in Birmingham or bought old stock from administrators. Instead, he is starting fresh, aiming to reopen 4 to 10 stores per week from June. Jarjoura expressed confidence in the UK market, dismissing concerns about business rates and employment costs: "Nothing is easy but you can't always be blaming someone else for your own faults."

Nostalgia and a Changing Retail Landscape

For many British shoppers, Claire's closure evoked childhood memories. Lucy Craddock and Taylor Crouch, who shopped at the brand in their youth, expressed sadness outside the former Oxford Street store. "It's very sad, because it's [our] childhood," said Craddock. Crouch added that she got her ears pierced at Claire's as a child, but now prefers chains like Lovisa. Nell Campbell, 34, said the closure was "a little bit sad" as it held childhood memories, but she had not visited since her teens. "There are so many exciting brands that have come along," she said. The brand's decline reflects a broader shift in teen shopping habits, accelerated by the pandemic and the rise of TikTok Shop, Vinted, and Depop.

What Comes Next for Claire's UK

Jarjoura's plan to reopen stores from June will test whether the brand can regain its footing in a market that has moved on. He aims to open 4 to 10 stores per week, but the exact locations and timeline remain unclear. The concessions, which number around 350, may also continue operating, though Jarjoura has not committed to keeping them all. The brand's revival will depend on whether Jarjoura can successfully reposition Claire's without alienating its core customer base. He has promised fair pricing and a revamped product line, but the shadow of heavy discounting and a tarnished reputation looms. As retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth noted, Primark and Superdrug already compete heavily on value, and online rivals show no sign of retreating.

A High-Stakes Gamble on a Beloved Brand

Jarjoura's decision to self-fund the UK expansion, with no debt and a long-term profit horizon, suggests a patient approach. But the challenges are formidable: a brand that had become synonymous with cheap, juvenile accessories must now convince a new generation of teens to return. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, summed up the predicament: "Claire's just wasn't cutting it in the same way anymore." If Jarjoura succeeds, it will be a rare case of a fallen high-street brand rising from the ashes. If he fails, the closure of Claire's UK operations will stand as a cautionary tale about the unforgiving nature of modern retail. For now, the brand's purple shop fronts may soon reappear, but whether they will once again become a fixture of British high streets remains an open question.

The bottom line

• Claire's will return to UK high streets with about 50 stores, reopening from June under French operator Julien Jarjoura.
• The brand closed all 154 standalone UK and Ireland stores on 27 April, resulting in over 1,300 redundancies.
• Jarjoura, who runs 240 Claire's stores in Europe, plans a debt-free UK business funded personally, with no immediate profit expected.
• The chain's collapse was driven by competition from online retailers like Shein and Temu, changing teen tastes, and high-street cost pressures.
• Jarjoura aims to reposition the brand with fair pricing and revamped products, while retaining ear-piercing services.
• The success of the revival hinges on winning back customers accustomed to heavy discounting and adapting to a transformed retail landscape.