Dive Brief:
- Claire’s is relaunching its in-store piercing experience starting this month across the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release shared with Retail Dive. The experience includes a fully redesigned layout with interactive Inspiration Bars for creating piercing stacks, dedicated selfie spaces and more.
- The broader update also features an expanded stud earring selection (including lab diamond options), a new training program for specialists and a refreshed visual identity. Claire’s developed a dedicated group of instructors, dubbed the Piercing Excellence Team, who travel across the country to train and support store employees. Claire’s will continue to offer free piercings with the purchase of a piercing kit starting at $29.99.
- The retailer’s update also includes five dedicated flagship stores that will have the largest expression of the refreshed experience. Those stores are located at: Tysons Corner in Tyson, Virginia; Town Center at Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida; Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois; Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York; and Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Dive Insight:
With about 900 stores, Claire’s is revamping a cornerstone of its reputation under new ownership.
“For decades, families have trusted Claire’s with one of life’s most memorable milestones, and after listening to customers, we saw a clear opportunity to raise our standards even higher,” Carey Brezler, vice president of retail operations at Claire’s, said in a statement. “Working alongside leading industry experts, we built our Piercing Excellence Team to lead ongoing education and re-certification across our stores. We introduced enhanced clinical training, FDA-registered medical devices, and elevated safety protocols to ensure safe, precise, and confidence-inspiring piercings for every customer who sits in our chair.”
The retail piercing industry has grown more competitive in recent years, with companies like Studs and Rowan also focused on the service.
Ames Watson acquired the tween-focused retailer’s North American business out of bankruptcy last year for about $140 million. The acquisition grew the firm’s existing retail portfolio, which includes controlling investments in Lids, South Moon Under, Ebbets and more.
Claire’s expanded its reach beyond direct-to-consumer channels in May with the announcement of a licensing agreement with Centric Brands. The deal allows Centric Brands to scale the Claire’s brand with retail partners such as Walmart, Kohl’s and CVS, developing products across categories such as cosmetics and jewelry.
Claire’s has revamped its marketing efforts in recent months to target a Gen Alpha audience and is betting on brick-and-mortar as its core focus.
“There’s no question that, especially coming out of COVID, the mall is an active part of people’s lives,” Ames Watson co-founder Lawrence Berger told Retail Dive in November. “They want to go out. They want to have the experience of walking around and going and getting something to eat and shopping — and parents want to take their kids somewhere. So yeah, we’re making a big bet on brick and mortar, and it’s challenging, but every business is challenging.”
