Centric Brands to scale Claire's across 7,000 North American retail locations

The US-based lifestyle brand collective Centric Brands LLC has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the US-based youth retailer Claire’s. The partnership, formed in collaboration with the US-based investment firm Ames Watson, aims to expand the retail presence of Claire’s into new product categories and more than 7,000 additional retail touchpoints across North America.

The strategic move represents a milestone in the strategy of Ames Watson to scale Claire’s beyond its core retail footprint of more than 900 owned locations. The initiative will build a more diversified, multi-channel growth platform for the retailer, which specializes in jewelry, fashion accessories, and piercing experiences for teens and tweens.

Through the agreement, Centric Brands will scale the presence of Claire’s across major retail partners, including Walmart, Kohl’s, and CVS. This expansion will span more than 7,000 retail locations across the US and Canada.

Multi-category product expansion planned

The two entities will collaborate to develop an exclusive collection of trend-driven assortments. The product pipeline will span multiple categories, including cosmetics, jewelry, hair accessories, stationery, bags, and novelty items.

Lawrence Berger, co-founder and partner at Ames Watson, stated that this partnership marks an important step in the evolution of Claire’s into a true multi-channel brand platform. Berger noted that expanding the presence of the retailer beyond its own stores allows the company to meet consumers wherever they shop, while continuing to invest in the in-store experiences that define the brand, such as ear piercing.

Furthermore, Centric Brands will spearhead expansion into additional retailers and categories. These future developments will include apparel, accessories, home goods, and sleepwear.

Alex Fogelson, executive vice president and division head at Centric Brands, expressed pride in partnering with Ames Watson and Claire’s on the exclusive licensing agreement. Fogelson stated that the partnership reflects the ability of Centric Brands to scale beloved brands across multiple retail channels and categories.

The agreement also enables Centric Brands and Claire’s to leverage existing relationships with entertainment studios and other intellectual property holders. This will facilitate the introduction of co-branded licensed products to shop-in-shop and wholesale channels.