NEW YORK — Claire’s has entered into a strategic partnership with Centric Brands, a lifestyle brand collective, that aims to scale the Claire’s brand with retailers including Walmart, CVS, and Kohl’s.
The deal allows Claire’s, a retailer of accessories for teens and tweens, to expand into new categories and more than 7,000 additional retail touchpoints across North America, according to a press release on the partnership.
"This partnership marks an important step in Claire’s evolution into a true multi-channel brand platform,” says Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson, the private equity owner of Claire’s. “By expanding our presence beyond our own stores, we’re able to meet consumers wherever they shop, while continuing to invest in the in-store experiences that define the brand, like ear piercing."
Centric Brands and Claire’s plan to develop products across the retailer's existing categories [cosmetics, jewelry, hair accessories] while expanding into product lines such as apparel, sleepwear, and home goods.
“We are proud to partner with Ames Watson and Claire's on this exclusive licensing agreement, which reflects Centric Brands' ability to scale beloved brands across multiple retail channels and categories," said Alex Fogelson, executive vice president, division head, at Centric Brands. "We have cherished our longstanding relationship with Claire’s and we are thrilled to be taking our collaboration to the next level. This partnership will provide more opportunities for consumers to connect with the beloved Claire’s brand across even more retail touchpoints."
