ICSM Retail Insolvency News: Claire’s Accessories in crisis; Quiz closing; Russell and Bromley in trouble and even charity shops are closing their doors as Chinese competition from cheap online sellers undercut the British high street

By Harry Mottram: The future of the teenage girl accessories retail chain Claire’s remains in some doubt following the closure of its 154 stores in the UK and Ireland leaving 1,300 staff out of work in April. Owners Modella Capital have kept their concession shops open although in May, 2026, French outfit Julien Jarjoura acquired around 50 of the stores and some of the concessions leaving the bulk of the business shuttered and the workers without a job – plus of course some of the many suppliers without their invoices being paid. ICSM has seen how traditional stores on the High Street have been hit by online shopping as well as the influx of hyper-cheap Chinese firms who undercut stores like Claire’s.

The Retail Gazette reports that Quiz Clothing are set to shut more stores this month. Joint adminstrators Alistair McAlinden and Geoff Jacobs from Interpath Advisory have be closing the fashion chain shops in Aberdeen, Inverness, Warrington, Basingstoke, Bracknell and Dunfermline already with the bulk of the rest of the company gone by the end of June following its collapse into administration earlier this year. Founded in 1993 in Scotland the chain for a while was listed on the stock market but in recent times has entered administration several times. Alistair McAlinden, joint administrator and head of Interpath in Scotlan told the BBC: "With Quiz, the latest retailer to fall into administration, there's no doubt it's been a tough start to 2026 for the UK High Street. It's our intention to continue to trade all stores and the concessions in Ireland as a going concern for as long as we can while we assess options for the business."

The Centre for Retail Research have listed a number of well known retailers who have gone to the wall or his the skids this year. They include Leading Labels clothing that went into liquidation this month, while Radley handbags and accessories was sold a pre-pack to Gordon Brothers and the successor of WH Smith high street shops TG Jones is already in trouble and is looking to close a quarter of its stores and could enter administration this summer. That is a lot of suppliers who must be wondering if they’ll get paid let alone the hundreds of staff seeking back wages and having to make a new job search. The Centre for Retail Research added this concerning note: “Modella Capital (which has had a rocky twelve months) is T G Jones' owner. As part of the rationalisation, Modella will add £35 million of new capital to the business. Stories in the Saturday newspapers, including The Telegraph and The Daily Mail (9 May 2026), drew attention (using the company's note to landlords in support of its plan) to the fact that T G Jones has not yet paid all business rates due yet and is behind with the payment of some supplier invoices. The Mail drew attention to Modella forcing its subsidiary to pay (so far £2.9m) for the use of the "T G Jones" name. The name has not, so far, proved appealing.”

Other stores in trouble this year include Routledges in Carlisle, the Southern Co-op, Game, Russell and Bromley and the Original Factory Shop – it is closing all its 122 stores. Even charity stores are closing – The British Heart Foundation is shutting 150 of its outlets and Cancer research in locking its doors at 88 of its shops. Again it is cheap imports from China that are partly to blame but also competition from the likes of Primark.

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