Claire’s once ruled the high street with its butterfly clips and ear-piercing gun – so what went wrong for the ‘temple of girlhood’ as it goes into administration?

With its tattoo collars, butterfly clips and split-heart necklaces to share with your BFF, and a free ear piercing service, Claire’s was once a retail mecca for teenagers.

But after years of decline since its heyday in the 2000s, owner Modella Capital announced it had taken the ‘very difficult decision’ to place the retailer into administration after 145 stores closed and sales plummeted.

Founded in Chicago in 1961, Claire’s arrived in the UK in the mid-90s and quickly became known as the ‘maiden temple’ of the high street, encouraging tweens to spend their pocket money on affordable jewellery.

The free gun ear piercing service, which still probably still sends chills, was equally successful and quickly became a rite of passage.

Even Victoria Beckham took her son Brooklyn to get his ears pierced at Claire’s in London’s Westfield in 2014; Kim Kardashian surprised her fans by going to Hawaii to wear nails.

Speaking to The Daily Mail about the store’s glory days, PR and branding expert Chad Teixeira said: ‘Claire worked because she knew exactly who it was for and never overcomplicated it.

Bosses announced Claire had entered administration on Monday. Image: Claire’s store at the Golf Mill Mall in Niles, Illinois, in 2002

‘This gave young girls their first experience of independence, of choosing things for themselves, of experimenting with identity without taking risks.

‘The products were cheap, loud and trend-oriented, making them accessible and exciting.

‘The ear-piercing chair transformed the brand into a rite of passage, not just a store. Claire’s wasn’t about quality or longevity; It was about feeling grown up for the first time.’

Claire also had a rise because she arrived in the UK at a time when shopping in the town was a typical Saturday plan for most teenage girls, unlike today when online shopping from fast fashion brands such as Temu and Shein reigns supreme.

Teixeira added: ‘It has also developed because of the importance of the main street. Malls were social spaces, and Claire’s was impossible to miss. Bright stores, constant innovation and impulse pricing have made this a guaranteed stop.

‘Parents said yes because it was affordable. The kids loved it because they felt like it was theirs. At best, Claire didn’t need marketing, she had footfall and visibility.’

Claire’s reign on the high street has not been without some scandals, and in 2017 the chain was forced to recall 17 make-up products after a glittering set tested positive for asbestos.

Two years later, the brand hit headlines again after a former employee revealed a company policy of forcibly piercing distressed children’s ears against their will if their parents insisted.

Founded in 1961, the Chicago-born retailer was offering the latest designs to young people across the UK

Tweens would head to Claire’s to buy matching necklaces to share with their closest friends

Although the logo has changed over the years, the store’s interiors have remained largely the same

Stud earrings were all the rage in the 2000s, and Claire’s was a big purveyor of the trend.

Raylene Marks, who worked at Claire’s store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for four months, quit in April 2019 after an incident that made it clear that a seven-year-old girl did not want a piercing.

The girl’s mother eventually left with her, but Raylene said she reached her ‘breaking point’ after a manager told her that if the mother insisted and physically forced her protesting daughter into the chair, Raylene would still have to pierce her.

Claire told the Daily Mail at the time that they were investigating the store where she worked.

A spokesman said BBC was reviewing policy. They said: ‘Claire has been piercing ears for over 40 years and has pierced over 100 million ears.

“Customer welfare is our main priority and we ensure that child piercings are done with the best care in consultation with and with the approval of the legal guardian,” the spokesperson wrote.

As a result, Claire’s failed to meet the changing demands of British customers who had fast fashion at their fingertips.

The company’s owner, Modella Capital, announced the “very sad” news on Monday evening and admitted it was a “very difficult decision.”

A spokesman said: ‘Sadly, we have had to commence insolvency proceedings for The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) and Claire’s Accessories UK and Ireland.

Claire’s store had so many amazing earrings, filled with hundreds of fun and affordable designs for customers to choose from.

‘Best Friend’ necklaces with split pendants were a popular item at Claire’s stores nationwide

The retailer sold fun stationery as well as jewelry and beauty products in its stores

The high street chain has covered many aspects of beauty, including bright and bold nail polish colors

Collecting trinkets from Claire’s house (pictured) was also a popular pastime among teenagers in the 1900s

‘This was a very difficult decision. We have worked hard to save both businesses, making last-ditch attempts to save them, but neither has any realistic prospect of trading profitably again.

‘In these circumstances, management is the only option. In both cases, the legacy effects of trade prior to our ownership left them quite vulnerable.

‘The climate on the high street remains extremely challenging and TOFS and Claire are not alone in facing difficulties.

‘This is confirmed by recent Sensormatic statistics and other data sources, which suggest a worrying drop in visitor numbers ahead of Christmas.

‘The combination of very weak consumer confidence, extremely negative government fiscal policies and ongoing cost inflation is causing many established and much-loved businesses to suffer badly.

‘It’s a simple fact that if retailers can’t make money they risk closure and jobs will be lost across the country.’

Claire’s future has been insecure since her bosses filed for bankruptcy in August last year.

Shoppers in Newcastle have expressed their dismay at Claire’s imminent closure.

Student Holly Howells, 18, from Newcastle, said: ‘Claire was my childhood. The place I go every Saturday.

‘It really saddens me to think that it will not be suitable for children in the future. Where else will little girls go to get their accessories?

Office worker Emma Smith, 44, took her daughter to Claire’s regularly when she was little, even though she hadn’t shopped there for several years.

18-year-old Chloe McPherson was a huge fan of Claire’s as a child. Store employee said: ‘When I was little, in my pre-teen days, I used to shop there all the time.’

‘I’m just thinking about bright lights, earrings and headbands. Everything was beautiful.

‘The most I went there was probably between six and ten. My parents would take me and I would spend my Christmas money there.

‘I can’t believe this won’t happen for the next generation.’

Her friend Lola Morrison, 17, also a student at Newcastle, said: ‘It was Claire’s when I was a kid.

‘They had everything you could want as a little girl, it was like a palace of accessories.

‘And the price of everything was so affordable that we could spend our pocket money there. It’s so sad that it might not be a thing anymore.

‘I also feel sorry for all the people who may lose their jobs. I hope they find a way to make this work and keep it open.’

18-year-old Chloe McPherson was a huge fan of Claire’s as a child. The shop worker said: ‘I used to shop there all the time when I was little, in my pre-teen days.

‘I used to buy all the bows with precious stones on them, they were so beautiful.

‘For little girls, Claire’s is part of growing up. Going with my mom and begging her to buy me something is a childhood memory for me.

‘Unfortunately I think that’s the way shops are going now, it’s not what it used to be on the high street, so I’m not really surprised.’

Holly Howells, 18, from Newcastle, said: ‘Claire was my childhood. This is where I go every Saturday

Office worker Emma Smith, 44, took her daughter to Claire’s regularly when she was little, even though she hadn’t shopped there in several years.

Emma, ​​from Whitley Bay in North Tyneside, said: ‘My daughter had her ears pierced as many young girls did there, it was a very popular place.

‘I’d say she shopped there until she was about 17 and then she grew up, but until then she always wanted to spend her Christmas and birthday money there.

‘Then she developed a more adult taste for more expensive jewellery.

‘I guess that’s the way stores are doing it now; I think bars and cafes are more popular in towns and cities now.

‘People are happy to shop online. I did all my Christmas shopping online and never went near a store. ‘Why would you do that when Amazon can deliver it the next day?’

Keris Newton-Brown, a 26-year-old waitress from Wallsend, North Tyneside, said: ‘It’s a shame the shops didn’t last long but I think everything has moved online now and it doesn’t bother me.

‘Claire’s is really aimed at kids and I think they’re spending their money on other things now or they want more expensive things.

‘He’s found his place now, but maybe he’s had his day.’