Ear-piercing jewellery company Rowan is plotting big expansion as it prepares to unveil a new, more upscale format.
The company, founded in 2017 by former Wall Street executive Louisa Schneider, started out as an at-home concierge-style piercing service. It opened its first physical store in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since.
Rowan reinvented the traditional retail model for ear-piercing by giving it a medical bent: Every piercing is performed by a licensed nurse who has been trained to pierce ears. The nurses are a key component of what Rowan calls its “clinical piercing standard”, a set of stringent protocols and training guidelines developed to prioritize customer safety at every step of the ear piercing process.
The standard also encompasses sterilized equipment, the exclusive use of hypoallergic earnings and detailed aftercare support, the company said.
Rowan locations (“studios”) offer an inviting, clean and stylish environment, with elements that include a pink storefront, pink and beige interior walls and lacquered millwork fixtures. Rowan-branded wallpaper in the piercing areas adds a pop of colour. The piercing area is designed to be comfortable and clean for both the customers and piercing nurses.
With approximately 120 studios, Rowan is one track to have 135 locations by the end of the year. Looking further out, the company has set an ambitious goal when it comes to expansion.
