Jewellery chain Claire’s to close with loss of 100 jobs in Belgium

American retail chain Claire’s, which sells inexpensive jewellery and fashion accessories for teenagers, has filed for bankruptcy in Belgium.

The chain has 30 stores in Belgium, three of which are in Brussels, and about 100 jobs are at risk.

“The employees now have to wait and see what the receiver will decide,” said Noëlle Pelanis of the ACLV union.

“These are people who work day in, day out to keep the brand afloat and who are now facing complete uncertainty. [They] deserve certainty about their future and their wages.”

Claire’s has been in difficulty for some time. The company in the US filed for bankruptcy protection last week to protect itself from creditors. In France, too, judicial protection was obtained at the end of July.