Claire’s Holdings LLC will close 291 U.S. stores—235 under its namesake banner and 56 Icing outlets—after the teen-focused jewelry chain entered Chapter 11 protection on 6 August for the second time in seven years. Court filings show the closures will occur on a rolling basis, with liquidation sales already under way. California faces the largest number of shutdowns, followed by New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania. The restructuring follows the $104 million sale of Claire’s North American operations to private-equity firm Ames Watson, which also issued the retailer a $36 million seller note. The buyer intends to keep between 795 and 950 stores open and has paused liquidation at many other locations. In total, about 830 North American stores remain in operation, while the company maintains roughly 2,300 outlets worldwide, including concessions. Claire’s said the downsizing is necessary to address mounting losses driven by competition from ultra-low-cost online platforms such as Shein and Temu, elevated interest rates, inflation and the United States’ 145% tariff on Chinese imports. Ames Watson signaled plans to preserve a “significant retail footprint” and retain most store-level and headquarters staff as the chain seeks a sustainable post-bankruptcy path.