Claire’s files for bankruptcy, to close 300 stores

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• Claire’s has filed for bankruptcy for the second time in seven years, citing online competition and changing consumer spending.
• Claire’s is closing nearly 300 stores, including some in Ohio, amid its bankruptcy
• The closures are part of a larger trend of retail store closures in 2025, including Big Lots, Joann Fabrics, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and JCPenney.

Jewelry and fashion retailer Claire’s is set to close nearly 300 stores after its second bankruptcy in seven years, and several Ohio stores are on the list, USA TODAY reports.

Claire’s Holdings LLC listed more than 290 stores it planned to close in a court filing on Monday, Aug. 25. The company announced on Aug. 20 it had sold its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson for $104 million.

Closing stores include 235 Claire’s locations in the U.S., along with 56 Icing stores. The filing also listed 830 stores – 785 Claire’s locations and 45 Icing locations – not expected to close immediately.

Which Ohio stores are on the chopping block? Here’s what to know.

Which Claire’s stores in Ohio are closing? See the complete list, map

Several Ohio stores are among the 291 slated to close. They are:

• Chillicothe: 1075 N. Bridge St.
• Cincinnati: 43 E. Kemper Road
• Columbus: 400 S. Wilson Road
• Dayton: 2700 Miamisburg-Centerville Road
• Dayton: 270 Dayton Mall
• Defiance: 1500 N. Clinton St.
• Dublin: 5043 Tuttle Crossing
• Huber Heights: 8431 Old Troy Pike
• Maumee: 3100 Main St.
• Norwood: 2727 Edmondson Road
• Springfield: 1618 N. Bechtle Ave
• Toledo: 5001 Monroe St.
• Wooster: 3985 Burbank Road

The full list and map of Claire’s closures nationwide are below.

How many Claire’s locations are in Ohio?

There are 54 Claire’s locations in Ohio, including four locations in Columbus, three in Cincinnati, one in Canton and several in the Cleveland area.

Claire’s joins Big Lots, JCPenney, Joann Fabrics, more retail store closures in 2025

The jewelry retailer is part of a growing trend of nationwide store closures from several major retailers, including:

• Big Lots has closed some 600 stores nationwide, but about 200 will continue under new ownership.
• Joann Fabrics has closed all 850 stores nationwide.
• Macy’s plans to close 150 stores by 2026, and recently named 66 of those locations.
• Kohl’s is closing 27 underperforming stores.
• JCPenney is selling 119 stores, including two Kentucky stores and five in Ohio.

Claire’s second bankruptcy filed amid tariff, inflation and competitive challenges

Claire’s, which is based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, near Chicago, has continued to struggle since first filing for bankruptcy in March 2018.

Backed by hedge funds Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital, Claire’s continued to operate with more than 2,300 retail locations across 17 countries in North America and Europe. That number included traditional Claire’s stores, 210 Claire’s locations embedded in Walmart stores, and 120 stores that operate under the Icing brand owned by Claire’s. The company also operates 9,000 concessions kiosks within malls.

“This decision is difficult, but a necessary one. Increased competition, consumer spending trends and the ongoing shift away from brick-and-mortar retail, in combination with our current debt obligations and macroeconomic factors, necessitate this course of action for Claire’s and its stakeholders,” Claire’s CEO Chris Cramer said of the recent store closures in a news release.