Claire’s, the trendy, youth-oriented accessory retailer, is relocating its headquarters to Columbia Centre III in Rosemont, Ill., from its current location in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Located at 9295 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Columbia Centre III is a nine-story Class A office building totaling 238,696 square feet. Claire’s will occupy 43,200 square feet at the site. Amenities include a fitness center, 24/7 building access, on-site dining and covered and surface parking.
Claire’s is expected to make the move in early 2027.
News about the headquarters change was provided by the Newmark commercial real estate firm, which worked with RCS Real Estate Advisors on the deal with Claire’s. Terms of the lease were not provided.
Ames Watson, a holding company with more than $2 billion in revenues, purchased Claire’s for $140 million last year when it was bankrupt, saving it from total liquidation. The firm worked with RCS on due diligence and landlord negotiations to preserve hundreds of Claire’s stores. Ames focuses on operating and transforming businesses for the long term, not selling them after a few years. The firm’s investments include Lids, LidsU, Champion, South Moon Under, Mitchell & Ness, Ebbets Field, Zygo, Hungry and Margau.
Ames Watson officials could not be reached by presstime Thursday to discuss Claire’s move.
Despite bankruptcies, downsizings, and ownership changes, Claire’s remains a mall staple, with about 900 stores, averaging 1,000 square feet in size, in the U.S. and Canada. It’s among the few retailers with scale devoted solely to young girls, with piercing stations that are a rite of passage for millions of girls each year, and items ranging from $1.99 to $119. Ames Watson is orchestrating a transformation of Claire’s centered around improving the piercing experience and the training of piercers, widening the target audience up to 14, and updating the stores and marketing.
Regarding the headquarters relocation, “Claire’s was seeking a modern, amenity-rich workspace in a highly accessible location that would support both talent recruitment and retention,” Sean Moran, associate director at Newmark, said in a statement. “We were proud to represent the company in securing a headquarters that aligns with its strategic goals and sets the stage for its next phase of growth.”
“Through our work together on major strategic initiatives, from the Claire’s acquisition to the evolution of their industrial and logistics portfolio, we have developed a deep understanding of the business and how its workplace needs are shifting as the brand engages a new generation of consumers,” Spence Mehl of RCS Real Estate Advisors said in a statement.
The individuals involved in the deal said Claire’s new location brings the retailer closer to the central business district of Chicago, enhancing access to talent while staying connected to its suburban workforce. Also, the location is near the Rosemont CTA Blue Line train station for direct transit to downtown Chicago and O’Hare International Airport, and near major highways for relatively easy access to Chicago’s central business district and northwest suburbs.
