How Claire’s Left the ‘90s to Reach a New Generation of Youth

For Claire’s, it’s a delicate balancing act between playing in new spaces and embracing the nostalgic feelings many people have for the retailer. The recent rise of ‘90s and ‘00s nostalgia has likely helped boost the brand, and Patrick noted that its appeal could widen to other audiences, such as millennial moms who might remember shopping in the store as teenagers. 

“The magic of Claire’s is it’s not just about the ‘90s and 2000s,” she said. “But we want to capture the spirit of every generation of youth.” 

Opening its doors wider

In many ways, capturing the spirit of youth will mean something different with Gen Zalpha than it did in the ‘90s. 

Patrick observed that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are “very different from other generations,” because they are “global citizens, highly creative and entrepreneurial. They will never know a world without [virtual devices like] Alexa. They have the world at their fingertips.” 

Trying to resonate with today’s youth propelled Claire’s not only to experiment with different types of marketing but also to form a closer dialogue with customers. In fall 2023, it set up a loyalty program, called C.Club, which has since grown to more than 20 million members. 

“[This generation] has forced companies like ours to become even more astute about responding to customers’ needs and wants,” Patrick said.

Gen Zalpha are also more open about previously taboo topics including mental health and are “challenging social norms” such as gender, said Patrick. She stressed that Claire’s is not just for girls–as it is typically perceived–and featured some boys in its most recent campaign.