Another national chain has closed its doors at the Designer Outlet Swindon.
Claire's Accessories has been preparing to close its Wiltshire-based outlet centre since early April 2026.
Fears were first raised over the future of Claire's Accessories back in November 2025, when the Brunel Shopping Centre store closed permanently.
At the time, Claire's told the Swindon Advertiser that the Designer Outlet store would be remaining open.
However, the Designer Outlet shop has now officially closed.
"I knew it was going soon, but I didn't realise it had actually gone until I came past this morning," one Swindon shopper, Amy Hopkins, told the Adver.
"It is really sad. I grew up in the height of Claire's and my friends and I would all go there after school and buy matching hair clips and friendship bracelets. It was like the definition of girlhood in the early 2000s.
"I've got my own daughter now and I was looking forward to taking her shopping there when she got a little bit older. There are other jewellery stores but they're all a bit more adult and expensive."
Staff told the Swindon Advertiser that they were only told when the final day of trading would be a week before it closed.
In the five-day lead-up to the closure, ear piercing at Claire's was stopped, and stock was put on sale with some jewellery reduced to as little as £1.50.
This latest closure follows the Claire’s Accessories firm first filing for bankruptcy in 2018, after they were not able to repay a loan.
In August 2025, the Adver reported that Claire’s had collapsed into administration, putting over 2,000 jobs at risk across the UK and Ireland.
They also filed for bankruptcy again that month.
The Designer Outlet unit, opposite The Body Shop, Smiggle and Pro Cook, has now been left empty with the lights turned off.
Photos from inside the unit show that shutters have been pulled down over the displays, but signs which read 'dream big' and 'be your self-ie' remain in place on the Claire's recognisable purple walls.
Recommended reading:
Look back at Swindon Designer Outlet through the years
'Disgust' as fly-tipped donations pile up outside shops and supermarkets
Former employee walked into Swindon shop and stole hundreds of pounds from till
Full access to all of our articles online and on the app, fewer adverts, a better reading experience, exclusive competitions and more - all for less than the price of a cup of coffee. ☕️
Subscribe now! - https://t.co/WMk7dnx2V0 pic.twitter.com/tZ5fiHf9VF— Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) April 13, 2026
Shoppers passing by stopped to speak to the Adver and share what they hope to see next in the empty unit.
"Personally, I would love a Hollister," said one shopper.
"I have to go to Bath to find the nearest one, and I just think it would fit in with the kind of shops already here."
Another resident added: "I'd like to see it go to a local business. It would be great if the Designer Outlet could help boost local trade."
Share