Cumbria: Three Claire's Accessories branches set to close

The high street chain, popular with teenagers for jewellery, hair accessories and ear piercing, went into administration last month before being sold to investment group Modella Capital.

While the deal secured the future of 156 stores nationwide, the three branches – located in Elephant Yard, Kendal, Washington Square, Workington and The Lanes, Carlisle – are all due to shut their doors.

The closures put dozens of local jobs at risk and come as part of wider national cuts that could see around 1,000 roles lost. Administrators Interpath said affected shops would stay open for as long as possible while options are explored, with closing-down sales expected to begin soon.

The transaction will see 156 Claire’s stores across the UK and Ireland transfer to Modella Capital, preserving c.1000 jobs.

Speaking on Monday, the joint administrators of Claire’s Accessories UK Ltd were pleased to confirm a sale of substantially most of the Company’s business and assets to Modella Capital, the specialist retail and consumer investment boutique.

A notice in Claire's window regarding the administrators(Image: NQ Staff)

Natasha Harbinson, managing director at Interpath who led the sales process, said: “Following an agreement between Modella Capital and Ames Watson in the US in relation to the Claire’s brand, we are pleased to confirm a sale of the majority of Claire’s UK business and assets which will ensure this popular brand will continue to trade on high streets up and down the UK.

“In addition, we are also pleased to have secured a sale of the Claire’s business in Switzerland. Discussions with other interested parties continue in relation to the Claire’s entities in France, Italy and Poland.”

Speaking on Monday, September 26: "Will Wright, Interpath’s UK CEO and joint administrator, said: “We’d like to express our sincere thanks to the thousands of Claire’s dedicated employees, as well as suppliers and other key stakeholders, who have supported us throughout the administration process.

"Our intention is to continue to trade the remaining portfolio of stores for as long as we can, while we explore the options available.”

The 145 stores not included in the deal, which are set to close are:

• Elephant Yard, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4QQ
• 8 Risman Place, Washington Square, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3DB
• The Lanes Centre, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8NH
• The Arndale Centre, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 2LJ
• SU33B, The Sovereign Shopping Centre, Weston Super Mare, Somerset, BS23 1HL
• The Cascades Centre, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 4RJ
• 83 Strand Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2EN
• Baxtergate, Freshney Place, Grimsby, North Lincolnshire, DN31 1QQ
• Green Lanes Shopping Centre, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1UH
• Eastgate Centre, Basildon, Essex, SS14 1AF
• Howgate Centre, Falkirk, FK1 1HG
• Victoria Place Shopping Centre, Victoria Station, London, SW1W 9SJ
• Thistle Marches 2, Stirling, FK8 2EA
• 101 Sylvania Way, Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, G81 2TL
• 324 Oxford Street, London, W1C 1JA
• Ards Shopping Centre, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4EU
• Union Arcade, Millgate Shopping Centre, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL9 0QF
• The Howard Centre, Howards Gate, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6HA
• Bow Street Mall, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, BT28 1AW
• Ankerside Shopping Centre, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7LG
• The Mall, Cwmbran, Torfaen, NP44 1PX
• Centre West, EK Shopping Centre, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, G74 1LL
• 36 Old George Mall, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AG
• Eden Centre, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2HW
• 10 West Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1PB
• Kiosk A2, West Orchards Shopping Centre, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV1 1QX
• 53 The Harpur Centre, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 1TJ
• The Parade, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2SG
• 108 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LR
• Bloomfield Shopping Centre, Bloomfield, Co. Down, BT19 7HB
• 7 Thackery Mall, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 0PQ
• Banbury Gateway Shopping Park, Daventry Road, Banbury, OX16 3ER
• The Shires, Trowbridge, Avon, BA14 8AT
• 9 Clock Tower Shopping Centre, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2JR
• 6 Union Street, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5PL
• 6 Banks Street, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1JF
• County Square Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent, TN23 1YA
• The Victoria Centre, Mostyn Street, Llandudno, Gwynedd, LL30 2NG
• Upper Mall Level, Churchill Square Shopping Centre, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2TD
• Unit 25, Lorebourne Centre, Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, DG1 2BD
• Grey Friars, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, SA31 3BN
• Mill Street Mall, Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6LY
• Phase 1 Mercat Centre, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY1 1NU
• 5 St Modwens Walk, Cooper Square Shopping Centre, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 1HL
• The Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 8EF
• 10 Kingfisher Walk, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4EY
• George Yard, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1RB
• Gloucester Quays Outlet Centre, Gloucester, GL1 5SH
• Unicorn Way, The Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes, Fife, KY7 5NU
• 83A North Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1LQ
• Emeside Shopping Centre, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, BT74 6JQ
• Market Gates Shopping Centre, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 2AX
• 11 Jackson Square, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3XG
• South Street Mall, St Johns Centre, King Edward Street, Perth, Perth and Kinross, PH1 5UX
• Units L3/21, L3/14, Buchanan Galleries, Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, G1 2FF
• The Pavillion Shopping Centre, Walthamcross, Hertfordshire, EN8 7BY
• 14 The Orchards Shopping Centre, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3TH
• Sterling Mills Designer Outlet Village, Sterling Mills, Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, FK13 6HQ
• 9 King Street St Hellier, Jersey, Channel Islands, JE2 4WE
• 150b Stoneybutts, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 7JD
• 5-7 Chapel Street, Southport, Lancashire, PR8 1AE
• The Quays Albert Basin, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 8QS
• 5 Gomond Street, Maylord Shopping Centre, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2DP
• The Mall, Newlands Shopping Centre, Kettering, Leicestershire, NN16 8DP
• Resorts World Birmingham, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham, B40 1PU
• 13 Woolshops, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 1RU
• 23 Treaty Centre High Street, Hounslow, London, TW3 1ES
• Almondvale Centre, Almondvale South, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6RQ
• 48 Broadgate House, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV1 1NH
• The Bentall Centre, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 1TR
• 37 Parliament Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 8RU
• George Street, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3YE
• The Chantry Centre, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1RN
• 214 High Street, Ayr, Ayrshire, KA7 1RQ
• Middlebrook Leisure Park, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6JA
• 14 Market Way, Exchange Shopping Centre, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL16 1EA
• 19 London Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex, PO21 1QG
• 130 High St, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9AX
• 46 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3AH
• The Plaza Brunel Centre, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 1LD
• Talbot Green Retail Park, Talbot Green, Llantrisant, CF72 8LW
• Park Mall Saddlers Centre, Park Street, Walsall, WS1 1YS
• 5/7 West Mall Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN1 1ST
• 74 High Street, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, DN15 6SD
• The Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GH
• Vicar Lane, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1PY
• Gabriel's Hill 2-6 King Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1DE
• Grace Reynolds Walk, Camberley, Berkshire, GU15 3SN
• The Swan Centre, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5SG
• Affinity Devon, Clovelly Road, Bideford, Devon, EX39 3QU
• 33 The Quadrant, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey, TW9 1DN
• Cathedral Walk St David's Centre, Cardiff, Glamorgan, CF10 2DS
• The Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Castle Quay, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5UN
• 18 Chapel Walk, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2PD
• Riverside Quay, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 2LJ
• Kiosk 2, Broadwalk Centre Edgware, Edgware, London, HA8 7BD
• St Nicholas Centre, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, AB10 1HW
• Borough Parade, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3WL
• 62a Market Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2HD
• Fishergate Walk, St George's Centre, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2NR
• Wellington Square, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, TS18 1RH
• The Lowry Galleria, Tier 8, The Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, M50 3AG
• 53 Sandgate Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 1NY
• 232 The Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1BJ
• 56 Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1LL
• Prospect Centre, Hull, Humberside, HU2 8PS
• Diamond Centre, Coleraine, Londonderry, BT52 1DE
• Castle Walk, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1AN
• 80 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1EE
• The Mead Redevelopment, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7SB
• Unit 11C, Newport Retail Park Spytty Road, Newport, NP19 4QQ
• Lakeside Village, White Rose Way, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 5JH
• Chequers Court, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 3LJ
• 9 Fremlin Walk, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1QG
• 137 High Street, Elgin, Inverness, IV30 1DS
• 4 - 6 Smith Street, St. Peters Port, Guernsey, GY1 2NG
• 20 New Conduit Street, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 1DL
• Livingston Designer Outlet, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 6QX
• Orchard Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7LG
• Britannia Centre, Hinckley, LE10 1RU
• The Baytree Centre, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4BX
• Cabot Circus, Bristol, Avon, BS1 3BD
• Market Place, Bolton, Greater Manchester, BL1 2AL
• 3A Winchester Circle, The Kingston Centre, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK10 0BA
• Manchester Fort Shopping Centre, Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, M8 8EP
• Asda West Swindon Shopping Centre, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN5 7DL
• Asda, Tollgate Rd, Becktonz, London, E6 5JP
• Asda Pudsey Supercentre, Owlcotes shopping centre, Stanningley, Pudsey, LS28 6AR
• Asda, Chalfont Way, Earley, Reading, RG6 5TT
• Floor G, Asda Watford Supercentre, St Albans Rd, Watford, WD24 7RT
• The Outlet Centre Fair Hill Kilburn High Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland
• 52 St. Patrick Street, Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland
• 4 Cruises Street, Limerick, Co. Limerick, Ireland
• Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarmham, Dublin 14, Ireland
• Harbour Place, Mullingar, West Meath, N91 VY16 Ireland
• Central Mall Ilac Shopping Centre, Henry Street, Dublin, Ireland
• 98 Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
• Omni Park Centre Santry, Dublin, Ireland
• Scotch Hall, Drogheda, Louth, Ireland