Next-gen ear-piercing store concept expands

Studs is growing its fledging footprint.

Designed to reimagine the traditional ear-piercing experience, Studs offers safe, clean,   needle ear piercings done by experts and a wide assortment of earrings sold in singles or pairs. The company opened its first location in late 2019 in downtown Manhattan, which was followed by a second store, at the city’s Hudson Yards. After closing their doors during the pandemic, both stores have reopened, with piercing appointments booked weeks out, the company said.

Studs is now focused on expansion.  It recently opened its third location, in Austin, Texas, with more stores to open in the coming months.  

Studs combines ear piercing services with a wide assortment of curated earscapes (personalized combinations of piercings and earrings that customers can mix and match to create their own look), single earrings and collections. Customers can also shop for jewelry and get after-care information on the brand’s e-commerce site.

The company prioritizes healthy and safe needle piercing by only piercing with needles as opposed to piercing guns. 

“There’s a lack of brands in the piercing and retail landscape that prioritize healthy needle piercing, offer a trend-driven product assortment and accessible pricing,” said co-founder and CEO Anna Harman when Studs first opened. “By having a singular focus on the ear piercing experience from start to finish, we’re confident that Studs can close the gap and deliver a service not only centered around ear piercing, but optimized for every possible need related to either piercing or jewelry in a way that no other brand is doing today,” 

Piercing at Studs costs a flat fee of $35 for one hole and $50 for two. The prices for piercing jewelry range from $30 to $300 per earring. The fashion jewelry assortment ranges from $14 to $175 per single earring. The brand also features affordable and trend-driven fashion earrings, all sold in singles or pairs.