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Claire’s Agrees to Sell to Ames Watson as 291 Stores Close and Many Liquidations Pause

Court approval in the U.S. and Canada will decide the chain’s final footprint.

Overview

  • Court filings list 291 closures—235 Claire’s locations and 56 Icing stores—with closing sales continuing at those sites and dates to roll out over time.
  • The agreement values the sale at $104 million in cash plus a $36 million seller note, transferring the brand’s intellectual property and at least 795 North American stores, potentially up to about 950.
  • A revised list names roughly 830 locations as not closing for now, and liquidation sales were halted at many stores following the announced deal.
  • The transaction remains subject to bankruptcy court approval in both countries, and the buyer has pledged to keep most store employees and a significant number of headquarters staff.
  • The restructuring follows years of heavy debt, softer mall traffic, higher tariffs and costs, and growing competition from online fast-fashion platforms.