Ear piercing studio Rowan is looking to bring safe piercing environments to customers across California this year, with multiple locations heading to the Los Angeles area. The brand kicked off its California expansion with an opening at Santana Row in San Jose earlier this year and has another location opening this summer at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. Founder and CEO Louisa Schneider told What Now Los Angeles that there is also a location slated to open by the end of the year at 2ND & PCH in Long Beach, alongside others heading to San Diego and Northern California.
Formerly in finance, Schneider has been building the business for the past 10 years after discovering that there was no ideal place to take her young daughter to get her ears pierced.
“I knew for my daughter, I wanted something safer, and there were really no options available,” Schneider said. “I wanted the option and I didn’t have it, which seemed odd. Given that almost every woman and many men get pierced multiple times in their lives, it was wildly insufficient where we were [in this industry] as other everyday services evolved.”
Schneider designed Rowan to focus on safety and celebration, offering piercings done exclusively by licensed nurses instructed with an in-house curriculum overseen by their medical board. All jewelry materials are hypoallergenic to align with the safety goals of the company.
For Schneider, staying true to the mission of the brand is central to Rowan’s goal and has remained a key element of the brand as they grow their brick-and-mortar footprint.
“Where most piercing is done where it is an appetizer or a side dish, at Rowan it is the main course,” Schneider said. “You might get a great piercing somewhere that doesn’t prioritize the service above all else, but it is our experience that if you prioritize your piercing and the safety around it, you can dramatically reduce the incident of negative outcome.”
Rowan reports an adverse piercing outcome at a rate of less than 1%, as compared to the industry standard of about 30%.
Formerly, Rowan operated in partnership with Target, allowing licensed nurses to conduct ear piercings in Target stores. Now, as they expand with dedicated stores, the Rowan team is leaning into crafting the customer experience.
“We do a lot of celebrating at Rowan,” Schneider said. “When you walk into a store, it should feel clean and orderly. It should feel like a jewelry box and the most celebratory clinical setting you can imagine.”
In Rowan stores, customers can expect to see jewelry in the front, where they can select jewelry for piercings and purchases. Customers receiving piercings can then go to the piercing chairs, and afterwards they can pick up additional accessories like piercing gel and gifts.
This year, Rowan is gaining velocity in their expansion strategy. They are targeting nine store openings in California by the end of the year and 35 openings nationwide. With more than 100 Rowan stores open currently, Schneider hopes to eventually hit the 1,000 store mark and bring the Rowan experience to communities across the country.
“Oftentimes our customers are sharing stories as to why they’re getting pierced,” Schneider said. “Oftentimes we have multi-generational piercings — mom and daughter, or grandmother, mom and daughter getting pierced together. There aren’t many days that you remember from your childhood, but you do remember the day you get your ears pierced. So we want to make it special.”
