Claire’s, a global jewelry and accessory store, is one of the longest-lasting retailers catering to tweens, teens and young women.

Courtney Fisher, a 22-year-old Morgan State University student, got her ears pierced at a Claire’s at age 13. It was “one of the most memorable experiences” of her life, she said.

But Claire’s was on the brink of becoming just a memory as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and began preparing for the closure of thousands of stores — until a Howard County-based private equity investment firm swooped in.

Ames Watson, headquartered in Columbia, is purchasing the intellectual property and “a significant number of stores” in North America for $104 million, according to a press release this month. It could be up to 950 retail locations, Fast Company reported Tuesday.

Ames Watson is invested in Lids, Champion Teamwear, Fanatics, and 14 other brands. The company also had a hand in acquiring Bluemercury, a beauty and skin care retailer, among others.

Now, the firm will add Claire’s to its roster.

Lawrence Berger, cofounder and principal of Ames Watson, said in the Aug. 20 statement that the firm is committed to investing in Claire’s “by preserving a significant retail footprint across North America.”

Berger and Ames Watson did not respond to requests for an interview or comment.

Claire’s has had two near-death experiences in the last decade. The jewelry and piercing retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and then again earlier this month, as it reported having over $500 million in debt.

Claire’s started as two separate companies. Rowland Schaefer founded Fashion Tress Industries, a fashion wig company, in 1961 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. And in 1973, Schaefer acquired a small chain of stores called Claire’s Boutiques, which sold jewelry and accessories.

He combined both businesses to create Claire’s Stores and a brand that young girls and women turned to for all things shiny and cute.

Although its name changed, the company has been headquartered in the Chicago suburb for nearly 65 years.

Known simply as Claire’s, like a friend’s place, the retailer has more than 2,750 stores in 17 countries, including Canada, Mexico, Ireland, South Africa, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany and more. Its sister brand, ICING, has 190 stores across North America, according to the company’s website.

As part of the bankruptcy, 234 Claire’s locations and 56 ICING stores, including seven stores in Maryland, are set to close.

While the exact number of stores Ames Watson will keep open is unknown, there are 830 locations listed as “non-closing,” according to a revised list of plans for the chain filed on Monday.

The Maryland stores closing are:

• Claire’s at Gaithersburg Square in Gaithersburg
• Claire’s at Harford Mall in Bel Air
• Claire’s at Country Club Mall in Lavale
• Claire’s at TownMall of Westminster in Westminster
• Claire’s at Wheaton Mall in Wheaton
• ICING at The Mall In Columbia in Columbia
• ICING at White Marsh Mall in Baltimore

When the company filed for bankruptcy in 2018, leaders blamed a decline in consumer demand and a boom in online competition.

Rachel Robinson, a Baltimore native, said she hadn’t set foot in a Claire’s in years until shopping on a recent afternoon at the Towson Town Center location. The Towson store is not currently on the list of closures.

“I just went in there because I knew I needed something specific and I needed it for a certain price point,” Robinson, 30, said. “But from what I can remember, I would say it’s not as exciting or enticing as it used to be, like 10 years ago.”

Seven years after Claire’s first bankruptcy filing, the company said the lack of consumer demand is still a major issue.

“Increased competition, consumer spending trends and the ongoing shift away from brick-and-mortar retail, in combination with our current debt obligations and macroeconomic factors, necessitate this course of action for Claire’s and its stakeholders,” said Claire’s CEO Chris Cramer, when the bankruptcy proceedings began Aug. 6.

Those macroeconomic factors could be related to new steep tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump. Businesses and consumers are often saddled with the added cost burdens when tariffs are imposed.

Some customers may be less interested in shopping at Claire’s, and malls generally, but they don’t want the retailer to disappear.

Fisher, who grew up going to teen-focused stores like, Claire’s, Justice and Club Libby Lu, said losing the chain would be “disappointing.”

“I feel like it’s kind of unfortunate for young girls,” Fisher said. “They don’t really get to experience that as I did as a girl growing up. I feel like it’s a part of girlhood and developing into a young woman.”