(Image: Getty Images)
The last-ditch efforts to save a retail giant with stores across Scotland and England were revealed last month.
Attempts to save the firm that collapsed into administration with 1,300 jobs lost owing almost £20 million were unsuccessful.
Administrators outlined a series of efforts to help the historic high street firm and added that creditors now face losing £3m, my exclusive story revealed.
The news follows the April closure of the last 154 Claire’s Accessories UK and Ireland stores led to 1,300 redundancies. It came after Philip Dakin, Benjamin Wiles and Janet Burt of Kroll were appointed administrators of the company by the directors in January.
That move did not affect the company’s 356 concessions and its head office.
High street giant collapsed into administration with 154 stores closed owing £20m
(Image: Getty Images)
I wrote that the administrators’ report outlines the steps taken to try to save the fashion and accessories retail estate.
The brand originated in the United States, when it was headquartered in Chicago, and dated back to 1961. Claire's expanded into the UK in 1995, when it acquired Bow Bangles, a British chain with 71 stores.
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The background of the company is also shown. The US-based entity, Claire’s Holdings LLC, commenced proceedings in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in 2025.
In August 2025, Claire's Accessories UK entered administration with Christopher Pole and William Wright of Interpath being appointed as administrators.
Most of the business and assets to Modella Capital for a total consideration of £3.6m.
The administrators said that, in an effort to improve the viability of the company's business, the directors “implemented a number of revenue generation and cost reduction measures including attempts to negotiate rent reductions with landlords, exiting where possible and seeking new concession partners”.
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The administrators said: “Notwithstanding the above financial and operational turnaround measures, ultimately the cashflow and profitability of the company had been significantly impacted by the inability to secure negotiated rent reductions with the bulk of the company's landlords, resulting in the trading positions of those sites needing to be re-assessed.”
Distillery liquidation
In another difficult month across sectors, I also reported that an award-winning Scottish family-run distillery has been placed into liquidation.
The distillery based near Edinburgh said in a statement it has “entered voluntary liquidation and is no longer trading”.
Documents at Companies House show a change of address for the Secret Garden Distillery Limited, from Old Pentland Road, Lothianburn, to the joint liquidators' in Glasgow.
A public notice shows a special resolution was made that “the company be wound up voluntarily” and that “Gareth David Wilcox and Mark Harper, of Opus Restructuring be appointed joint liquidators of the company”.
A statement on the distillery’s website said: “Secret Garden Distillery Limited has entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation and is no longer trading.”
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It comes just months after the distillery celebrated being named UK Gin Producer of the Year 2025 by the IWSC & Club Oenologique, which it said is “an award judged solely on liquid quality”.
Liquidators said all 16 jobs were lost.
The earlier release continued: “Founded just four years ago by two sisters committed to nature-led, sustainable distillation, the distillery has quickly earned recognition for its garden-grown botanicals and craft-first ethos.”
The most recent UK company figures showed food and drink insolvencies fell 9% month-on-month from 301 in April 2026 to 274 in May 2026, and were also down compared to the same month in 2025, when it was 296.
All staff redundant
I also wrote last month that all staff were made redundant following the collapse of an engineer that was founded 45 years ago.
Coatbridge-based Galino Limited was described as a manufacturer of fasteners and machine screw products.
David McGinness and Judith Howson, of AAB Business & Tax Advisory, have been appointed joint administrators of the company.
High street giant collapsed into administration with 154 stores closed owing £20m
(Image: Newsquest)
Mr McGinness, joint administrator, said: “Upon appointment, the business ceased to trade and, unfortunately, all 12 staff were made redundant.
“A small number of former employees will be assisting the Joint Administrators in their duties for a short period of time.
“The joint administrators are engaged with the relevant agencies to co-ordinate supporting the employees through the difficult process.”
The news comes as the latest figures from the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) show there were 240 corporate insolvencies registered in Scotland in the second quarter of 2026, down from 332 cases in the same period last year, a 27.7% drop.
The number of compulsory liquidations fell from 167 to 97 in the year to the end of June, while creditors’ voluntary liquidations decreased by 13.3% over the same period. There were 127 members’ voluntary liquidations compared to 119 in the same quarter last year, a slight increase of 6.7%.