Claire’s is set to reopen on UK high streets from June, with around 50 locations planned under new operational management, The Guardian reported.
The jewellery and accessories chain will be relaunched by the operator currently running its stores across France, Austria, Portugal and Spain.
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Julien Jarjoura, founder of jewellery company Une Ligne, said he had received approval from Claire’s US owner Ames Watson to resume trading in the UK and was in the process of signing new leases with landlords.
Jarjoura plans to open between four and ten locations per week from June.
He attributed the chain’s previous UK difficulties to insufficient investment in stores, product ranges poorly matched to domestic tastes, and pricing issues that led to widespread discounting.
The relaunched offering will feature refurbished stores, continued ear-piercing services, and an overhauled product range with prices beginning at £1.90 and extending beyond £100 ($135).
The new UK operation will be funded independently by Jarjoura and structured without debt.
While Jarjoura has brought on former Claire’s UK executives and may retain some of the brand’s 356 concessions, he has not taken on its Birmingham head office or existing stock from administrator Kroll.
He acknowledged the business was not expected to turn a profit immediately.
Claire’s was founded in Chicago in 1961 and entered the UK market in 1996 through the acquisition of Bow Jangles, growing into a high street name with a strong following among younger shoppers.
In recent years it faced mounting competitive pressure and operational challenges, culminating in bankruptcy filings for its US and Canadian operations last year and the subsequent closure of its remaining UK stores, which resulted in more than 1,000 job losses.
