Claire’s, the low-cost jewelry and accessory retailer, filed for bankruptcy Wednesday and notified the state of New Jersey that it plans to lay off employees. “This decision is difficult but a necessary one,

Mall-based teen accessories retailer Claire’s, known for helping to usher in millions of teens into an important rite of passage — ear piercing — but

Claire’s, the jewelry chain that was once an inescapable part of life for many teens, filed for bankruptcy a second time Wednesday, joining other retailers who have struggled amid the growth of online shopping and the uncertainty set off by tariffs.