Trending
Penguins allowed to roam freely after the aquarium closed to the public
Emily Sergeant -
17th March 2020
Emily Sergeant -
17th March 2020 Trending
Claire’s is closing all stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Claire’s shuts all UK stores with 1,300 jobs lost https://t.co/xklmsKsBJC
— ITV News (@itvnews) April 27, 2026
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
ADVERTISEMENT
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
It is also worth noting, on the other hand, that an estimated 350 concession stands within the likes of Asda supermarkets will remain open – at least for now.
More importantly, it’s never good to see people being made redundant, and we send all of our love and support to those impacted by the developments.
Do you have any lasting memories of visits to Claire’s?
Read more:
- Discount flights from Manchester Airport as part of easyJet’s ‘Big Orange Sale’ for 2026
- Ancoats Marina cocktail bar shames customers who ran off on unpaid rosé bill
- Music industry rallies around pub and music venue as it’s hit with ‘malicious’ noise complaints
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — chrisinplymouth (via Flickr)
Trending
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
— AO Arena (@AOArena) April 27, 2026
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
On Sale, Wed 6th May @ 3PM local time.
INFO: https://t.co/tlW2lgJlab pic.twitter.com/02lFXILO5E
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
- 14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
- 16 Jan – London
- 19 Jan – Amsterdam
- 22 Jan – Stockholm
- 24 Jan – Copenhagen
- 26 Jan – Berlin
- 29 Jan – Milan
- 31 Jan – Barcelona
- 2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Read more:
- Gig review | Yungblud channels a bit of Ozzy attitude on huge headline night in Manchester
- Manchester Storm announce return to AO Arena after nearly two and a half decades
- Review | A masterclass in The Art of Loving: Olivia Dean’s two magical nights at Co-op Live
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — David J Lee (via Flickr)
More Trending
Audio
Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute
Eats