CLAIRE'S REIMAGINES PIERCING EXPERIENCE FOR A NEW GENERATION

Claire's is transforming its iconic piercing service to reflect modern girlhood, from upgraded training to elevated in-store experiences and a fresh look across all stores in the U.S. and Canada

ROSEMONT, Ill., Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For nearly five decades, getting your ears pierced at Claire's has been a rite of passage. With more than 131 million piercings to date, Claire's has defined this milestone for generations, turning ear piercing into a formative moment that empowers girls. Now Claire's has reimagined its iconic piercing experience for the next generation of Claire's Girls, marking one of the brand's most significant operational investments in the past several decades. Launching across Claire's 900 stores in the U.S. and Canada beginning this month, the transformation introduces new clinical standards, enhanced training, an elevated environment and a refreshed visual identity designed to make piercing feel more celebratory, memorable and share-worthy than ever before.

"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 Vice President 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."

Inspired by how Gen Alpha expresses themself today and informed by consumer insights, Claire's has redesigned every step of the journey, from consultation and piercing to aftercare and beyond. Starting this month and continuing throughout the fall, all Claire's locations will feature an entirely new piercing experience, including:

• Raising the Standard for Piercing Excellence with a New Training Program and Clinical Standards: At the heart of the transformation is a completely rebuilt clinical training program centered on a simple belief: piercing is a responsibility, not just a service. Every Claire's piercing specialist completes an enhanced curriculum blending hands-on instruction, digital learning, guided practice, ongoing assessments, and recertification. The revamped training covers every touchpoint of the piercing experience: consultation, sterile stud selection, earring placement mapping, hand-pressurized piercing techniques using FDA-registered medical devices for a gentle and sterile piercing, after‑care education, and customer experience so every customer feels safe, supported, and celebrated throughout their piercing journey.
• A New Approach to Service with a Dedicated Piercing Excellence Team: Claire's believes that milestone moments deserve expert care. Working alongside leading experts, the brand has introduced the Claire's Piercing Excellence Team, a group of professional instructors with more than 140 years of combined experience who travel across the country to train and support Claire's store teams, elevating consistency and expertise across all locations nationwide. The investment reinforces Claire's commitment to delivering a trusted, best-in-class experience, ensuring every guest receives the same level of care.
• An Expanded Stud Assortment & Commitment to Maintaining Free Piercing: As part of the expansion, Claire's is proud to introduce an expansive new piercing stud collection. The latest additions bring new styles in single studs, a premium selection of lab-grown diamonds, and on-trend designs at every price point. Staying true to its heritage of making piercing accessible, Claire's will continue to offer free piercing and its aftercare experience with the purchase of an ear piercing kit starting at $29.99.
• An Immersive In-store Experience: In stores, guests will discover a completely redesigned piercing environment: elevated piercing stations, an interactive Inspiration Bar for building the perfect ear stack, selfie moments designed for social sharing, destressors to hold during piercing, medical trays for Piercing Specialists to maintain sterile piercing execution, refreshed employee uniforms, aftercare guides, piercing certificates, and more. Every aspect of the piercing experience was overhauled and designed with the brand's expert piercing specialists, Gen Alpha (and moms) feedback at the center.
• A New Visual ID and Tagline for New Generation: This new chapter comes to life through a refreshed visual identity designed specifically for today's Claire's Girls. It's anchored by a pastel palette and the brand's new signature shade, Lilith: a softer, modern evolution of Claire's iconic purple, co‑created with Gen Alpha. 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.

This new era of piercing underscores the brand's commitment to serve as an inspiring playground for modern girlhood and a safe place for self-expression with making memories and being social at its core, ensuring every Claire's visit delivers a transformational experience. 

Gen Alpha has helped shape the relaunch from the beginning, and Claire's will be scaling its two-way dialogue with these consumers through "All Glown Up," a social series featuring teen creators Txunamy Ortiz and Caitlin Kim. They'll join forces to reveal and weigh in on exciting elements of Claire's top-to-bottom rebrand, helping shape decisions that will come to life in stores and ensure the brand reflects what girlhood needs today.

Later this summer, Claire's will also introduce a social series capturing the unfiltered reactions, rituals and real stories of Gen Alpha getting pierced, because everyone has a Claire's piercing story, and it's best told in the Claire's chair.

To schedule an appointment and explore the latest trends, visit claires.com and follow along @Claires as the new era of Claire's piercing unfolds.

About Claire's
Claire's is a fashion brand with a mission to become an inspiring playground for modern girlhood. With more than 60 years of cultural relevance and over 131 million people pierced to-date, Claire's is the leading destination for first piercings and the core memories unlocked with these experiences. Today, the brand connects with Claire's girls through trending products, immersive in-store experiences and a strong point of view on what's next - creating a space where individuality shines and memories are made. For more information and to find a store near you, visit claires.com.

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SOURCE Claire's