Claire's targets Gen Alpha with new store design
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A piercing consultation at the Santa Anita, California, store. Photo: Courtesy of Claire's
Suburban Chicago-based Claire's is remodeling stores and updating the piercing experience to appeal to a new generation.
Why it matters: Ear piercing at Claire's represents a rite of passage for tweens and teens, and the company is betting that a more modern experience geared toward Gen Alpha will keep the mall staple relevant.
Reality check: The company headquartered in Rosemont has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice since 2018 and has closed hundreds of stores, making the latest rebrand even more pressing.
The big picture: The popularity of the "ear stack" — multiple piercings in each ear — as a form of self-expression has made piercing an all-ages experience, prompting the rise of places like Studs and Rowan.
- Registered nurses perform the piercings at those shops, and the price point is higher than at Claire's, but chief merchandising officer Jillian Cueff says the competition is not solely driving the changes.
- "We always look at our competition, and we are learning from them at all times, but it's really just a response to what the customers asked for in our stores," Cueff tells Axios.
State of play: Piercers at Claire's have undergone updated training, and piercing stations will be separated from the rest of the store to create a more clinical experience.
- Store layouts are more spacious, with backlit mirrors ideal for selfies, and a softer purple as Claire's signature color, a move away from the darker purple store visitors may remember from the 1980s and 90s.
Context: All the changes were conceived with the Gen Alpha customer in mind, Cueff explains. Gen Alpha shoppers want a more communal experience, seeing the mall as a place to hang out, much like it was for their Millennial and Gen X parents.
What they're saying: "We're making Gen Alpha the target because we know that's when she starts making her own decision about where she spends her allowance money," Cueff adds.
- "Mom makes the spending choices really pretty exclusively up until about 10, and at 10 you start getting influenced by your friends and other things, and you have desire that you want to spend your money on."
What's next: Claire's at Oakbrook is expected to be the first Chicago-area store to debut the new look later this month or early September.
- Chicago's only Claire's is at Water Tower Place, with dozens more across the suburbs.