Claire’s revamps iconic piercing experience

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The retailer is rolling out updated training, store displays, earrings and more as part of broader upgrades to its store service.

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.”

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Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Negative opinions have proliferated since she was named to the top spot, but analysts say critiques are overblown.

The lines between apparel, activewear and everything in between have only continued to blur. That isn t a problem, except if the customer says it is.

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