There has been a rise of piercing shop brands that are expanding their reach in the U.S., offering trendier, multiple ear, nose and lip piercing options. Although in the not-so-distant past, these more intricate piercings were only offered in offbeat body piercing/tattoo parlors located in lower rent, off of main street retail sites, the piercing parlors of today are being situated in upscale malls, lifestyle centers and mainstream street-front retail sites in both urban and suburban destinations. Look for MSAs that are also considered tourist hubs, which attract a large number of Gen Z and millennials with disposable income, to especially be targeted as ideal markets. These piercing parlors are frequently near popular food and beverage tenants, as well as beauty services and clothing stores.
Recently Claire’s — the mainstream, go-to suburban mall shop for teens/tweens — announced it will be focused on opening new units overseas (especially in Spain and Portugal) and throughout the U.S. with its in-store partnership with Walmart. Therefore, the piercing parlor brands that are currently expanding their reach in the U.S. include Studs, Rowan and Maria Tash.
Studs is in expansion mode, expecting to open about 10 to 15 new units per year over the next two years. The brand is eyeing new territories in the West, with rumored new growth in markets such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Huntington Beach, Calif., San Diego, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Ariz., Las Vegas, Portland, Ore., and Denver. Potential further growth may also focus on Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C. Studs looks for space in the 800- to 2,500-s.f. range in both suburban and urban metros. Real estate space can include both retail street-front sites with heavy foot traffic and lifestyle centers, including tourist-oriented destinations with a college-aged crowd.
Preferred co-tenants should be other trendy brands — whether food and beverage or service-minded stores — that appeal to the 18- to 35-year-old demographic, such as Salt & Straw or Warby Parker. Studs’ expansion was aided by a $20B Series B funding round led by Spark Capital in October 2021. With a goal of becoming a top destination for piercings, Studs aims to mainstream the multiple piercings trend with its more inviting and approachable piercing parlors, and the brand plans on appealing to millennial-aged consumers in addition to the usual teenage customers.
Rowan also anticipates opening between 10 and 15 new units per year until early 2024, in addition to its push to open mini-studio spaces inside of 600 Target stores throughout the U.S. by the late 2022/early 2023. The in-store Target studios are in suburban locations outside of major metros, while its brick-and-mortar stores tend to be in popular urban street-front sites or in tourist-heavy shopping centers within 10 miles of an urban core destination. Rumored sites for new growth include all major markets on the West, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Las Vegas, and possibly the metros in New Jersey and Tennessee. Immediate growth will continue to take place in all metro regions of Texas and in Chicago.
Rowan looks for units as small as 676 s.f. and up to 1,500 s.f. in popular retail shopping streets, ground floors of mixed-use buildings, tourist-oriented malls and lifestyle centers, ideally near a college. Co-tenants should be trendy dining brands, such as Snooze, an A.M Eatery and Pressed Juicery, and female-based service brands, such as Drybar. Rowan’s core demographics are women between the ages of 7 and 21, but it is touting itself as a safe, certified nurse-operated piercing destination for all types of customers interested in the bodily art form. The brand also offers an “earring club,” popular with tweens, in which customers can sign up to receive earrings and other goodies, such as stickers, delivered every month in the mail.
Maria Tash will be opening new stores at a rate of about five per year over the next two to three years. With four shops total (two of which opened this year in Dallas and Los Angeles), expect growth to be centered in major metros that attract the trendy and wealthy consumer in the 25- to 45-year-old range. Rumored potential new regions for growth include the metros of Scottsdale, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and possibly Chicago. The retailer is looking at higher end shopping centers (including indoor malls), street-front and lifestyle centers in urban locations that generally appeal to an older luxury consumer.
Its stores have been in the 3,000- to 3,500-s.f. range, with the exception of its Los Angeles retail street-front flagship shop that is 6,000 s.f. Co-tenants should include popular luxury brands, including Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
In May, Maria Tash secured credit for working capital from Second Avenue Capital Partners in order to aid in its real estate expansion goals. Maria Tash distinguishes itself from other piercing/jewelry brands by specializing in fine jewelry, such as diamonds, and creating what it refers to as “curated ear” piercings that are uniquely stylized in an artistic way.
