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\nPhotograph: Shutterstock <\/p>\n
Last year, Claire\u2019s Accessories and The Original Factory Shop both came painfully close to disappearing from UK high streets for good. Luckily,\u00a0investment firm Modella Capital (which also runs WHSmith and Hobbycraft) swooped in to save the day \u2013 it acquired the Original Factory Shop at the start of 2025 and took over Claire\u2019s back in September.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But\u00a0less than a year later, Modella\u2019s\u00a0efforts to give\u00a0the retailers a new lease of life have led to both chains going into administration.\u00a0Now the remaining 150 Claire\u2019s stores could also disappear from our high streets, and 140 Original Factory Shop outlets could say goodbye. Here\u2019s everything we know.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why are\u00a0Claire\u2019s and The Original Factory Shop going into administration?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Modella said that both chain\u2019s were already \u2018highly vulnerable\u2019 when it took them over, and put\u00a0its decision down to a combination of \u2018very weak consumer confidence, highly adverse government fiscal policies and continued cost inflation\u2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It added: \u2018This has been a very tough decision. We have worked intensively in an effort to save both businesses, having made last-ditch attempts to rescue them, but neither has a realistic possibility of trading profitably again.\u2019<\/p>\n
\nPhotograph: Shutterstock
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What will happen to Claire\u2019s and The Original Factory Shop?<\/p>\n
Right now, administrators will be looking for new buyers to rescue\u00a0the brands \u2013 but if a buyer isn\u2019t found, both are likely to be liquidated with all branches closing down.\u00a0Between the two business, there are more than 300 high street stores across the UK that could be shut down. No closures have been confirmed yet, but roughly\u00a01,350 jobs at Claire\u2019s and 1,200 jobs at the Original Factory Shop are under threat.<\/p>\n
See the full list of UK high street closures that happened in 202<\/a>5<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n ICYMI: All the River Island stores shutting down in January 2026<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n