The shutters have come down for the last time on the few remaining branches of fashion accessories retailer Claire’s that were still operating in the Republic until last weekend.
The shop was hugely popular with generations of girls with its ranges of jewellery, schoolbags, pencil cases accessories as well as ear piercing stations that proved to be a magnetic attraction.
But things started to come off the rails last summer when its US parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in a decade.
At the time, there were almost 20 shops trading under the Claire’s name in the Republic.
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As part of the insolvency process, a new investor was found and last autumn it seemed as if the company has been saved by a cash injection from Modella Capital.
While more than half the shops in the Republic were closed as part of a restructuring, the others continued to trade as normal.
The struggle was a long way from over, however, and the retailer was further imperilled early this year with more stores closed in January and a fresh round of closures taking place in March.
Modella Capital’s attempts to steer the business into less choppy financial waters ultimately ran aground with the company blaming wider struggles in British retail, including weak consumer confidence, inflation and the British government’s tax policies.
The retailer’s administrators Kroll finally pulled the plug this week confirming that the remaining 154 stores in Ireland and Britain have closed with immediate effect.
Around 1,300 employees have been made redundant although some outlets continue to operate as concessions in more than 350 locations around the UK.
According to reports, talks are continuing with French entrepreneur Julien Jarjoura, who controls the brand in several mainland European countries, to acquire the name rights in Ireland and the UK.
Claire’s was born in Chicago in 1961 and arrived in Ireland in the 1990s, quickly becoming a feature of town centres and shopping centres with its brand of cheap and cheerful accessories proving to be particularly popular among preteen and teenage girls.
The online retailing revolution saw it face huge competition, initially from the likes of Amazon, and more recently from fast-fashion companies such as Temu and Shein.
