Claire’s Merch Headed to Walmart, Kohl’s and CVS

Claire’s merchandise will soon be available in more than 7000 stores in North America operated by such brands as Walmart, Kohl’s and CVS. That will be happening thanks to a new licensing agreement between Ames Watson (Columbia, Md.), the tween retailer’s owner, and Centric Brands LLC (New York).

“The partnership represents a key milestone in Ames Watson’s strategy to scale Claire’s beyond its core retail footprint of 900-plus owned locations and build a more diversified, multichannel growth platform,” the partners said in a news release.

The pact calls for Centric Brands to partner with Claire’s to develop an exclusive collection of trend-driven assortments across multiple categories, including cosmetics, jewelry, hair accessories, stationery, bags and novelty Items. Centric will also seek to expand the brand into additional retailers and categories across apparel, accessories, home and sleepwear sectors.

The deal also opens the door for Centric Brands and Claire’s to leverage Centric’s relationships with entertainment studios and other IP holders, bringing co-branded licensed products to shop-in-shop and wholesale channels, the partners said.

“This partnership marks an important step in Claire’s evolution into a true multichannel brand platform,” says Ames Watson Co-Founder and Partner Lawrence Berger. “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.”

Said Alex Fogelson, EVP, Division Head at Centric Brands: “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.”

Centric Brands is a collective specializing in product design, development and sourcing, retail and digital commerce, marketing and brand building. Its portfolio includes licenses for 100-plus brands, ranging from Calvin Klein to Ugg. In addition to Claire’s, brands owned or invested in by Ames Watson include Champion, Lids, Hungry and Zygo.