{"id":400465,"date":"2026-09-15T13:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/400465\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T13:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:50:11","slug":"claires-unveils-modern-piercing-experience-for-gen-alpha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/400465\/","title":{"rendered":"Claire\u2019s unveils modern piercing experience for Gen Alpha"},"content":{"rendered":"

Claire\u2019s, a generational first-stop for ear piercings since the 1970s, has entered its \u201cglown up\u201d era.<\/p>\n

Call it a reimagined piercing experience: redesigned, less cluttered and sleeker, more focused, piercing stations. New training for the piercing professionals. Trending merch mixed with traditional stuff like brass studs and hoops.<\/p>\n

And a concerted effort to tap social media to find Claire\u2019s target audience \u2014 the Gen Alphas, ages 6 to 14. Selfie mirrors! Social media!<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, we wanted to take everything our consumers loved about Claire\u2019s original piercing experience and modernize it for today\u2019s Claire\u2019s Girls, making it more personal, more shareable, and more interactive,\u201d Jillian Cueff, Claire\u2019s chief merchandising officer, said in an email interview with the Miami Herald.<\/p>\n

The rebranding comes after last summer when Claire\u2019s closed 290 stores<\/a> nationwide, including a dozen in Florida such as its Cutler Bay, Miami\u2019s River Landing and Hollywood locations. Aventura Mall\u2019s Claire\u2019s also closed.<\/p>\n

The company emerged from bankruptcy, sold to private equity firm Ames Watson, and is altering the way its 900 remaining standalone stores, from a peak 3,400 in 2012, reach the Alphas.<\/p>\n

Last Friday, Dadeland Mall\u2019s store was the first Miami-area location to get its \u201cglow up.\u201d Town Center at Boca Raton opens its redesigned Claire\u2019s this Friday, Sept. 18.<\/p>\n

The first store to get the new iteration<\/a> nationwide was Claire\u2019s Santa Anita, California, location in early August, Forbes reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke with our consumers and heard two things really clearly: Parents wanted reassurance and expertise, while our Claire\u2019s Girls wanted more choice, personalization and an experience that felt exciting enough to share,\u201d Cueff said.<\/p>\n

That means new training and safety standards for its piercers in newly designed, less cluttered, piercing studios at its standalone stores, and planned kiosks and pop-ups through partnerships with Walmart, CVS and Kohl\u2019s. Claire\u2019s will use FDA-registered hand-pressurized medical devices instead of the old \u201cgun\u201d that affixed the starter earring.<\/p>\n

A customer can expect more consultation time through one-on-one chats with a piercing specialist before a procedure starts. They may ponder earring metal type, style and pricing. As for pricing, Claire\u2019s is holding pricing steady. Piercings remain free with a starter kit that starts at $29.99.<\/p>\n

New \u201cInspiration Bars\u201d show different placement and styling choices. There are try-on sticks to preview stud sizes before committing to a piercing, and post-piercing aftercare tips, too.<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s has been around a long time, long before interactive tools like viral social media strategies, influencers, and terms like \u201cInspiration Bars\u201d existed.<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s can trace its origins to 1961 to wigs retailer Fashion Tress Industries in Chicago, and through an acquisition of a company named Claire\u2019s Boutiques that brought in jewelry and fashion items, the Claire\u2019s that generations know took the Claire\u2019s name in 1973. Piercing services were added in 1978.<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s first filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and the concession era \u2014 stores-within-stores \u2014 began around that time as mall foot traffic started declining.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we entered Claire\u2019s new era, we saw an opportunity to build on our existing piercing program which has been trusted for decades and make it even more rigorous, consistent and reflective of what Gen Alpha and their parents expect,\u201d Cueff said. \u201cA big part of that was making sure our people had the training and tools to deliver that experience consistently, which is why every piercing specialist across our fleet went through updated training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Customers Customers at a new Claire\u2019s store in Santa Anita, California, consult before selecting jewelry. The chain is in the midst of a \u201cglow up\u201d project aimed at Gen Alpha. A new, updated Claire\u2019s opened at Dadeland Mall on Sept. 11, 2026. The next South Florida upgrade is at Boca Raton\u2019s Town Center Mall on Sept. 18. Paula Neves Claire\u2019s What\u2019s \u2018All Glown Up\u2019 mean?<\/p>\n

In with selfie mirrors \u2014 hot with young influencers, TikTokkers and Instagrammers \u2014 and out with the trinkets, cheap cosmetics, novelty toys and hair accessories. These items are moved away from the core piercing focus areas of the new Claire\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight off the bat you\u2019ll notice two things: First, all unrelated products have been cleared from the service area, giving the piercing specialist and the consumer a dedicated area for piercing,\u201d Cueff said.<\/p>\n

Also, Claire\u2019s is branding around a new \u201cLilith\u201d color scheme, rather than its former deeper blue color image. That\u2019s because Gen Alpha said it preferred the softer lavender shade, according to Cueff. \u201cThese were both intentional to make our piercing service feel like a distinct moment within our stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Inspiration Bar lets customers visualize their ear stack. They can experiment with hand-held, clear try-on sticks to map their placements. Groom and snap posts in the selfie mirrors. Afix butterfly clips to hold back their hair. Manipulate squishies and fidget sticks to use as a de-stressor. Collect bakery-style boxes for their purchases.<\/p>\n

You can also get an inside look at the brand\u2019s store reimagining evolution through \u201cAll Glown Up,\u201d a new six-episode series starring teen creators Txunamy Ortiz and Caitlin Kim. The series follows the two Claire\u2019s Girls as they react to new collections, explore the new piercing experience and share their \u201cunfiltered perspectives\u201d on what the new Claire\u2019s should look and feel like, while inviting their fellow Gen Alphas to do the same, according to the company.<\/p>\n

On the second episode Caitlin\u2019s dad gets his ears pierced for the first time.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad, are you nervous?\u201d Caitlin asks.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little bit,\u201d he says. He\u2019s handed a cushy squishie toy to clutch and squeeze. A de-stressor.<\/p>\n

They cheer after the earring is placed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo grateful we got to share this moment together,\u201d Caitlin posted on the Instagram clip.<\/p>\n

South Florida\u2019s other Claire\u2019s stores<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s hasn\u2019t announced when some of its remaining 15 South Florida locations will get the full glow-up experience. These include stores at The Falls, Dolphin Mall, Miami International Mall, Kendall Village Center, Westland Mall, Bayside Marketplace, Sawgrass Mills, Broward Mall, Coral Square Mall and Pembroke Lakes Mall.<\/p>\n

Claire\u2019s outlets as stores-within-a-store don\u2019t offer piercing but do sell trend-forward Claire\u2019s brand merchandise like cosmetics, hair accessories and jewelry. These have been a part of the earlier Claire\u2019s strategy for several years and the new rebranded company isn\u2019t giving up on these partnerships.<\/p>\n

Many Walmart Supercenters already incorporate Claire\u2019s merchandise. So does CVS. The Kohl\u2019s store at Kendall\u2019s Palms at Town and Country strip center, for instance, has Claire\u2019s merch.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur core consumers are Gen Alpha ages 6 to 14. That said, we\u2019re firm believers that girlhood isn\u2019t limited to an age range. It\u2019s a shared experience accessible to everyone, from Gen Alpha to their moms, aunts, and even grandmothers who grew up getting pierced at Claire\u2019s,\u201d Cueff said. \u201cGen Alpha may be the first digitally native generation, but they still value discovery, connection and spending time with their friends … and we see a real opportunity for Claire\u2019s to be that place for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Claire\u2019s Claire\u2019s aim to reach Gen Alpha girls ages 6 to 14 is through a reimagined piercing experience. According to the company, this means enhanced training and safety standards, redesigned piercing stations, an expanded jewelry assortment, new interactive elements and a refreshed visual identity. paula neves Claire\u2019s \"Claire\u2019s Claire\u2019s re-imagined piercing experience debuted at its Santa Anita, California store on Aug. 8, 2026, the first location to debut the updated concept. A new, updated Claire\u2019s opened at Dadeland Mall on Sept. 11, 2026. The next South Florida upgrade is at Boca Raton\u2019s Town Center Mall on Sept. 18. Claire\u2019s <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Howard Cohen<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami Herald<\/p>\n

Miami Herald consumer trends reporter Howard Cohen, a 2017 Media Excellence Awards winner, has covered pop music, theater, health and fitness, obituaries, municipal government, breaking news and general assignment. He started his career in the Features department at the Miami Herald in 1991. Cohen is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Communication.
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