The men behind the Lids turnaround are putting on their thinking caps—or, more aptly, their thinking claw clips—to revitalize tween trinket store Claire’s.

Investment firm Ames Watson, co-founded by Lawrence Berger and Tom Ripley, announced this month it purchased Claire’s for $140 million after the retailer filed for bankruptcy for the second time in August, citing issues like increased competition and lower foot traffic. The firm has become known for turnarounds, acquiring Lids in 2019, and more than doubling its store count and revenue, now at $1.4 billion, per the Wall Street Journal. The company also owns sportswear brand Champion, and apparel retailer South Moon Under.

While an athletic hats retailer and tween accessories chain might not seem like they have a lot in common, Berger told Retail Brew that he and Ripley are prepared to institute a similar playbook for the millennial mall staple’s comeback. He said it’ll take “a full year” to implement changes—which span improved merchandising and marketing, and some store clean-up—but they’re up for the challenge.

“We're good at fixing companies,” Berger said.

Keep reading here.—EC

Pinterest is doubling down on visual search, betting that the future of shopping isn’t about typing words into a box, but about seeing what you want and grabbing it.

The social media platform on Thursday unveiled a suite of new ad products at Pinterest Presents, its annual advertiser summit, laser focused on the 39% of Gen Z shoppers who prefer to start their product searches on Pinterest over traditional search engines.

The centerpiece among the ad tools announced is Pinterest Top of Search ads, “now in beta across all monetized markets,” according to the company. These ads land directly in the top 10 search results, where Pinterest’s research shows 45% of clicks happen. With 96% of top searches on Pinterest being unbranded, the platform is pitching this ad tool as prime real estate for brands to snap up shoppers who are still deciding what to buy.

Keep reading here.—VC

Today is National Coffee Day, and major chains such as Caribou Coffee, Sheetz, and Dunkin’ are offering special deals, like a free coffee or latte. Starbucks, meanwhile, is giving members an extra 100 bonus stars when they order a coffee, though it might not be a time for celebration at the coffee giant. The “holiday” comes just a few days after Starbucks announced a $1 billion restructuring, including the closure of 100 cafés and the layoffs of 900 non-retail employees.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In closures: Furniture outlet At Home set out to close 29 underperforming stores by September 30. The Texas-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over the summer, citing “broader economic and retail-specific market pressures.” The company is shrinking its footprint as it restructures its debt.

Keep reading here.—AV