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The Week in Shopping: The Claire’s Conundrum

The nostalgic mall brand had every advantage to capitalize on the exploding tchotchke market and maintain its ear piercing dominance. Instead, it’s teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.

Claire’s
The mall brand, known for trendy accessories and ear piercings, is once again teetering on the brink: After filing for bankruptcy in 2018, Claire’s has a $500 million loan due next year and faces some unpleasant options. Photo: Courtesy of Claire’s
Sarah Shapiro
July 25, 2025

My beloved tween daughter has never entered a store in which she didn’t want to buy something. So it’s particularly noteworthy that the Claire’s gift card that she received four years ago remains unused in her wallet. We tried again last week, and popped into the store in Aventura, but left empty-handed. Claire’s seems to be the one store where nothing interests her.