Overview

• Court filings list 291 closures across North America, including 235 Claire’s stores and 56 Icing locations, with shutdowns to be scheduled on a rolling basis.
• Ames Watson’s deal for the North American business remains subject to court approval, with reports citing either about $104 million or nearly $140 million in value.
• The proposed transaction includes assumptions of certain vendor and landlord obligations and $36 million in seller financing, according to reporting on the filings.
• Reporting indicates many liquidation sales were paused for stores included in the go‑forward footprint, while selected locations continue to liquidate.
• This marks Claire’s second Chapter 11 in less than a decade, with filings and coverage citing high debt, e‑commerce competition, and declining mall traffic as key pressures.