Dragon’s Den judge Suleyman swoops with rescue bid for Claire’s

The Dragons’ Den justice Touker Suleyman has tabled a bid to rescue Claire’s, the ailing accessories retailer, with a pledge to clasp its caput bureau and a important chunk of its British store portfolio.

Sky News tin exclusively uncover that Mr Suleyman is simply a superior contender to bargain Claire's UK operations from Interpath, the head appointed to grip its insolvency past month.

Mr Suleyman, who owns the menswear marque Hawes & Curtis and womenswear statement Ghost, is understood to person lodged a connection which would support overmuch of Claire's existing concern intact.

Sources said connected Tuesday that Mr Suleyman and Modella Capital, the retail investor, were present the 2 likeliest buyers of the retailer's UK operations, with Doug Putman, the HMV owner, besides having made an offer.

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Bidders for Claire's British limb indispensable unafraid support for a woody some from Interpath and Ames Watson, a backstage equity steadfast which past period agreed to bargain Claire's marque and up to 950 of its US stores.

The remaining parties successful the UK merchantability process are besides understood to person held talks with the caller brand-owner.

Mr Suleyman has go a salient fig by virtuousness of his decade-long engagement successful the BBC TV show.

His engagement successful the Claire's auction pits him against the caller proprietor of WH Smith's precocious thoroughfare empire, Modella Capital.

People adjacent to the process said Mr Suleyman's connection was apt to prevention a larger fig of jobs and shops than Modella's, though the presumption of either's proposals were unclear.

Claire's employs much than 2,100 radical successful the UK and Ireland, wherever it trades from 278 and 28 stores respectively.

Interpath said past period it would support each shops unfastened portion it assessed options for the business.

Claire's, which has been a fixture successful British buying centres and municipality centres for decades, is 1 of the biggest precocious thoroughfare chains to autumn into insolvency this year.

It has a peculiar pursuing among teenage shoppers.

The institution had been moving a merchantability process anterior to its assignment arsenic administrators, but did not negociate to unafraid a solvent deal.

The retail manufacture has been near reeling by the employers' nationalist security hike announced by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, past autumn.

Both Poundland and River Island precocious survived creditor votes paving the mode for them to slash rents and adjacent dozens of stores.

The illness of Claire's UK operations came a week aft its US genitor institution filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The institution had been owned by erstwhile creditors Elliott Management and Monarch Alternative Capital pursuing a erstwhile fiscal restructuring.

Will Wright, UK main enforcement astatine Interpath, said past month: "Claire's has agelong been a fashionable marque crossed the UK, known not lone for its trend-led accessories but besides arsenic the go-to destination for receptor piercing.

"Over the coming weeks, we volition endeavour to proceed to run each stores arsenic a going interest for arsenic agelong arsenic we can, portion we measure options for the company.

"This includes exploring the anticipation of a merchantability which would unafraid a aboriginal for this well-loved brand."

Neither Mr Suleyman nor Interpath could beryllium reached for comment.