Claire's closed hundred of stores. Now the tween mall brand is turning up in locations you'd never expect

Claire's is expanding beyond its mall-based footprint through a licensing partnership with Ames Watson and Centric Brands. The plan will bring Claire's to more than 7,000 additional retail locations across North America, increasing distribution beyond the current 900-plus stores. Centric Brands will support growth into new categories and retail partners, including CVS, Kohl's, and Walmart. The expansion aims to meet consumers where they shop while maintaining in-store experiences such as ear piercing. Claire's previously closed stores between 2017 and 2018, filed for Chapter 11 in 2018, filed again in 2025, and was acquired by Ames Watson for $140 million. A new exclusive product collection will be developed, with potential shop-in-shop and co-branded opportunities tied to entertainment IP.

"Earlier this week, Ames Watson and Centric Brands announced a licensing partnership that will bring Claire's to more than 7,000 new retail locations across North America. Currently, Claire's operates more than 900 locations, many of which are in malls. But Claire's is set to diversify more. Centric Brands will help expand Claire's presence into new categories and across major retail partners, including CVS, Kohl's, and Walmart."

""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," Lawrence Berger, cofounder and partner at Ames Watson, said in a statement."

"Between 2017 and 2018, Claire's shuttered 189 stores, including some of its sister brand stores, Icing. The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2018. The fashion and accessories company filed for bankruptcy for a second time in August 2025. Later that month, Claire's was acquired by private equity firm Ames Watson for $140 million. Bankruptcy records listed 234 Claire's stores and 56 Icing stores that were set to close."

"Centric Brands and Claire's will develop an exclusive collection of trend-driven products. The new items will span across multiple categories, including: Centric Brands will also expand Claire's into additional retailers and explore new product categories, like apparel, accessories, home, and sleepwear. The licensing partnership could lead to co-branded products being sold through shop-in-shop experiences, leveraging Centric Brands' relationship with "entertainment studios and other IP""

Read at Fast Company