Claire's

History of Claire's

Claire's, also known as Claire's Accessories, is an American-based retailer of jewellery, accessories and small gifts aimed at young women and girls. It began in 1961, founded by Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Initially the company, Fashion Tress Industries, focused on wigs, but in 1973 Fashion Tress acquired the 25-store jewellery chain Claire's, and began to focus on this new venture, naming the company Claire's Stores Inc. From 1980 onwards, the company began to expand globally, including the Japanese market and buying chains in Britain, Switzerland and France. By 2001 the online store had been launched and in 2008 a European headquarters had been established in Birmingham, England. By 2012, Claire's had expanded in the international market even further, opening stores in China, Italy, Indonesia, Dominican Republic and Luxembourg, as well as 2011 launches in India and Mexico.

By the end of 2012, Claire's stores numbered almost 3,500 stores across 36 countries, including nearly 2,000 in North America alone. The stores feature in over 90% of shopping malls in the United States and are popular on high streets and shopping centres in the United Kingdom.

Aside from selling jewellery and accessories, from 1978 Claire's have also offered an ear piercing service. Due to the cheap prices available at Claire's, as well as the accessibility considering the widespread and popular nature of their stores, Claire's are the most common ear piercing retailer, having done over 80 million piercings since they were first offered.

The nature of the products available in Claire's stores has made them exceptionally popular with a younger female audience, in particular pre-teens and teenagers. Some products offered are suitable for even younger children too, such as their stuffed animals or stationary products. Claire's also provide more formal accessories and jewellery which favour special occasions, such as weddings and prom nights. Casual and novelty jewellery and accessories are also a common part of the products provided by Claire's.

Claire's online

Claire's UK website, claires.co.uk, provides online access to the full range of Claire's products. Since some items may not be available in your local retailer, in particular in smaller stores or rural areas, the online range is much wider than in many high street Claire's shops and also features online exclusives.

On the online store, customers are able to browse various categories, including jewellery, hair, makeup, accessories and technology, as well as the kid's section for products suitable for younger children. A brand category is also provided for anybody wishing to purchase items that are not part of the Claire's own brand but are provided by and sold in Claire's stores and its online shop.

Jewellery is one of the most popular areas of the Claire's products and items include earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as body jewellery. Themes such as gothic, pearls, geometric and sparkle allow you to easily find the style of jewellery to suit your needs or personal fashion preferences, and popular items include chokers, clip-on earrings, ear cuffs and midi rings. Bags, purses, hats, scarves, glasses and phone covers are part of the accessories section, which also includes stationary, keyrings, bedroom accessories and lifesize cut-outs of pop stars and film characters. Claire's also sells makeup in varying forms, including eye shadows, lipsticks, nail colours and fragrances.

Catering for a younger audience, the kid's section includes smaller and more informal styles of jewellery and accessories, as well as including a dressing up range for fancy dress outfits and accessories. Soft toys are a popular section of the children's brand, and include stuffed animals, as well as novelties such as hot water bottle covers and the popular Beanie Babies range.

Categories online are also sorted into price ranges, such as under £5, under £10, under £20 and over £20, so that you can tailor your online search to your own needs. This comes in particularly handy when purchasing gifts on a budget, or when you want to make the most of your money.

Brands

Many of Claire's products are its own, but there are also a large number of popular brand products available. Brands usually cater to Claire's younger target audience, but sometimes other products also feature for adults. Some of these brands include: Hello Kitty, One Direction, Disney, The Vamps, Minion, Monster High, Peppa Big and Katy Perry. Branded ranges are also available and include: David & Goliath, Ty Toys, Eylure, Scunci Hair and Rainbow Loom.

Delivery Information

Claire's offers delivery to the UK and over 180 countries worldwide. In the UK, free delivery is offered when your order is £21.00 or more. Tracked delivery in the UK is £2.99. Next day and Saturday delivery is £5.50. You can also click and collect your product in store for £1.99. Spend more than £9.99 online and click and collect will be free. When shipping to France, the cost is £1.99. To the rest of Europe, the cost is £6.99. Delivery to Central, South, and North America is £7.50, as is delivery to the Far East, Australasia, Africa, and Asia.

Returns Policy

Claire's is happy to provide you with a refund of your purchase. If you need to return your purchase, please do so within 28 days, including your order summary either at an in-store location or by post. Purchases returned after the 28 day period may be refused. They do not give refunds or exchanges on gift cards, and when it comes to safety and hygiene, they do not accept returns of: unsealed cosmetics, pierced earrings or jewellery containing them, or real body jewellery.