Claire's Stores History & Historical Profile

Historical Record

February 2019 Summary: Claire's Stores, Inc. is one of the world's leading specialty retailers of fashionable jewelry and accessories for young women, teens, tweens and girls ages 3 to 35. The Company operates through its stores under two brand names: Claire's® and Icing®. As of August 4, 2018, Claire's Stores, Inc. operated 2,471 stores in 17 countries throughout North America and Europe, excluding 6,631 concession locations. The Company franchised 687 stores in 28 countries primarily located in the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia and Central and South America, Southern Africa, and Russia.

October 2013 Summary: For many fashion-conscious females ages 3 to 18, Claire's is the queen of costume jewelry, handbags, and hair bows, as well as free ear piercing. The company operates more than 1,900 stores in North America, primarily in malls, under the Claire's and Icing banners. (Icing targets twenty-something women.) Another 1,100 Claire's stores are located throughout Europe, and another 400 franchised stores are located in about 20 other countries. Claire's is owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which filed to take the company public in 2013.