Overview

• Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 on Aug. 6 and on Aug. 20 agreed to sell its North American business to an Ames Watson affiliate for $104 million in cash plus a $36 million seller note.
• The buyer agreed to take no fewer than 795 stores, potentially up to 950, and pledged to retain almost all employees at acquired locations and many corporate staff.
• A court list identifies 291 closures nationwide—235 Claire’s and 56 Icing—with the heaviest hits in California (25), New York (18), and Illinois and Pennsylvania (16 each).
• About 830 stores are not expected to close immediately, and liquidation sales were paused at many locations while some store-specific going‑out‑of‑business events continue.
• The transaction and any store transfers require approval from U.S. and Canadian bankruptcy courts, and the company says closure dates will be announced on a rolling basis.