Claire’s revamps piercing experience chainwide with new look, updated standards
Claire’s has overhauled one of its most signature elements — an element that has long been a rite of passage for young girls.
In what it described as one of its most significant operational investments in the past several decades, the tween and teen accessories retailer is elevating the in-store piercing experience with a refreshed look, new clinical standards, enhanced training and an expanded jewelry assortment. The updated experience is launching across Claire’s 900 stores in the U.S. and Canada beginning this month and continuing through the fall.
The update also includes dedicated “piercing flagship” stores, which will feature the largest expression of the new experience. The locations include Tysons Corner in Tyson, Va.; Town Center at Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla.; Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Ill.; Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y., and Ala Moana Center in Honolulu.
The company, which estimates it has given piercings to 131 million customers over nearly 50 years, said it has redesigned every step of a customer’s piercing journey, from consultation and piercing to aftercare and beyond. In keeping with its heritage, Claire’s will continue to offer free piercings with the purchase of an ear piercing kit.
The piercing overhaul is part of a broader revitalization of the company, whose North American operations were acquired out of bankruptcy in August 2025 by Ames Watson, whose other investments include Lids, South Moon Under, Mitchell & Ness and more. The company at the time said it was committed to preserving Claire’s heritage while positioning the company for sustained growth, with plans to modernize the retailer.
The piercing revamp includes elevated piercing stations, an “inspiration bar” to help customers build the perfect ear stack, selfie moments designed for social sharing, de-stressors to hold during piercing, refreshed employee uniforms, aftercare guides, piercing certificates and more.
At the heart of the update is a completely rebuilt clinical training program. Every Claire's piercing specialist completes an enhanced curriculum blending hands-on instruction, digital learning, guided practice, ongoing assessments and recertification.
The new training covers every touchpoint of the piercing experience: consultation, sterile stud selection, earring placement mapping and hand-pressurized piercing techniques using FDA-registered medical devices for a gentle and sterile piercing. It also includes after‑care education.
In addition, the company has introduced Claire's “piercing excellence team,” a group of professional instructors who travel across the country to train and support Claire's store teams, elevating consistency and expertise across all locations nationwide.
Claire’s refreshed piercing visual identity is anchored by a pastel palette and the brand's new signature shade, Lilith, describe as a softer, modern evolution of Claire's iconic purple. Paired with the new tagline, "I Got Pierced at Claire's," the experience reflects the brand's belief that moments matter, shopping should be designed as a shared experience, making memories is more important than things, and it's always better when experienced together, the company said.
"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," said Carey Brezler, Claire's VP of retail operations. "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."
