For years, Claire’s dominated the mall. For teen and tween girls, it was a go-to destination on every visit, whether for a new piercing or just to browse jewelry priced to match a weekly allowance.
Like so many mall brands, Claire’s lost its cachet and became a shell of its former self. It was no longer a destination—just a low-traffic mall storefront. Last year, the private equity firm Ames Watson took over operations of Claire’s in North America. It shut down about half of the chain’s stores, still leaving about 900 between the U.S. and Canada. And over the past few months, it’s been teasing a strategy that could bring Claire’s back to life.
The retailer has a fresh eye on its target customer: the 10-year-old girl. That means that she’s Gen Alpha—and her mom is a millennial, with fond memories of Claire’s. “We know Mom has so much nostalgia for this brand,” says Claire’s CMO Jillian Cueff, a Walmart and Macy’s alum. “But nostalgia only gets you so far.”
The retailer is overhauling its fleet of stores to turn them into a social media-friendly destination for Gen Alpha. Piercing will happen alongside a selfie mirror, with butterfly clips to hold back girls’ hair. The brand is partnering with YouTubers and Roblox creators. And alongside its affordable jewelry, Claire’s will carry whatever trending products 10-year-olds might want: fidget spinners, squishies, age-appropriate skincare, slime. That assortment will have to change fast. “We know this customer changes her mind 17 times in a sentence, and so what she liked yesterday might not be what she likes tomorrow,” says Cueff.
