Claire’s has been a teen staple since the first location opened in 1961 in the heart of downtown Chicago. Over the past 60 years, the brand has grown massively and has even expanded into Canada.
If you’re reading this post now, though, you’re probably wondering, “Does Claires ship to Canada?”
Although Claire’s has physical stores located in Canada, the brand’s primary US-based online store does NOT ship to Canada at this time.
Despite this inconvenient shipping restriction, there’s still a reliable “hack” to shop online with Claire’s US store and get your order shipped to Canada. Keep on reading to learn more!
Does Claire’s US Ship To Canada?
Claire’s online store in the US has a huge selection of earrings, bracelets, and other piercings, as well as accessories, perfume, wallets, and other cute items aimed at young tweens and teens.
The brand specializes in selling decent quality items at a price that younger shoppers (and their parents) can afford.
Unfortunately, Claire’s US does not provide shipping across the border to Canada.
One of the main reasons why Claire’s doesn’t ship to Canada is due to logistics issues. Since Claire’s primary distribution warehouses are located in the United States, the company would have to ship internationally to any customers ordering from Canada.
As you can imagine, this comes with certain complications.
Although Canada doesn’t impose any extra sales tax on shipments from Canada to the US (thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement), shipping can still take a lot of time.
International packages must be processed through Canadian customs, which may take upwards of two weeks or more, on top of the time it takes for the package to arrive at the Canadian border.
Young adults aren’t always the most patient, and Claire’s would undoubtedly face customer service complaints about the long shipping time to Canada. This could be a bad look for the brand as a whole, so Claire’s has chosen not to ship to Canada.
Does Claire’s Online Store In Canada?
Okay, so Claire’s US-based online store may not ship to Canada, but is there a Canadian online store for Claire’s?
Unfortunately, there is no Canadian version of Claire’s online store.
The only online store that the company has is its US-based site. As the brand continues to expand and grow in Canada in future years, this may change. However, don’t expect to see it anytime soon.
Does Claire’s Have Stores In Canada?
Although Claire’s doesn’t offer online shipping to Canadian addresses, Claire’s maintains physical store locations throughout Canada. These stores offer a very similar selection to the items you’ll find at a Claire’s store in the US.
Currently, Claire’s has over 120 retail locations in Canada. These are primarily located in major shopping malls and large shopping centres.
If you live in or around a major Canadian city, then you shouldn’t have any problems finding a Claire’s near you.
If you live in a more rural town, then you may be out of luck, though. You can use Claire’s online store locator to see the closest Claire’s store to you.
This is very similar to the popular US clothing brand Brandy Melville. Although Brandy Melville has several physical store locations in major Canadian cities it doesn’t offer any online shipping opportunities to Canadian shoppers.
Buy Claire’s Online In Canada From Walmart
Although Claire’s doesn’t offer a complete online store to Canadian shoppers, Claire’s has a partnership with Walmart in Canada. You can shop Claire’s Walmart selection in Canada here.
Although the product availability is relatively sparse, this is, by far, the easiest way to get Claire’s shipped within Canada.
How To Use Package Forwarding To Ship Claire’s From US To Canada
If you can’t make it to one of Claire’s physical locations in Canada and can’t find the item you’re looking for on Walmart’s site, then you’ll have to use package forwarding to ship your order from the US.
Package forwarding is the process of using a middleman for your package. The forwarding company will provide you with a virtual address located within a given country so that you can make purchases from online retailers that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to shop with.
Then, the package forwarder mails the package from its warehouse to your home address.
Below, I’ll show you how to get Claire’s shipped from the US to Canada by using a package forwarder.
Step 1: Sign Up With A Reputable Package Forwarder
Claire’s is based out of the US, which means that you’ll need to find a package forwarding company that offers warehouses within the states. Some of the top package forwarding companies that offer to ship to Canada are:
- NYBox
- MyUSaddress
- Fishisfast
- Global Shopaholics
- Shipito
- USA2Me
Although all package forwarding companies offer the same basic international shipping service, each has its own varying rates, surcharges, and member perks.
For example, some forwarders offer free storage for up to 30 days, while others offer free package consolidation, allowing you to ship multiple packages together to save on your overall shipping cost.
Step 2: Connect To A VPN To Mask Your Canadian IP Address
Using a package forwarder is only half of the battle. To access Claire’s online store in the US, you may also need to connect your device to a VPN or proxy server. These services mask your device’s IP address (from your internet router) and allow you to adopt a US-based IP address.
This tricks Claire’s website into believing that you’re a US shopper, so you’ll have full access to the online store.
Step 3: Shop On The Claire’s US Online Store
Now that your proxy or VPN is set up and ready to go, you can shop online and add as many Claire’s items to your online shopping cart as you want.
Step 4: Use Your Virtual Address In The US To Receive Your Package
When checking out, you shouldn’t encounter any issues using your Canadian credit card to purchase your order. However, you’ll want to use the virtual mailing address (provided by your package forwarder) instead of your personal address as the shipping address.
Since the shipping location is located within the United States, Claire’s won’t have a problem processing your order and should ship it without issues.
Step 5: Forward Your Claire’s Order From The US To Canada
Depending on the shipping speed you opted for with Claire’s the package forwarding warehouse in the US should receive your order within a week. Once it arrives, you’ll be notified of the package’s condition and will be asked to provide a forwarding address (your home address).
At this point, you’ll also choose the shipping option that you want to use to ship your Claire’s order to Canada. A few weeks later, the package should arrive safely at your doorstep!
How Long Does Claire’s Take To Ship To Canada?
Whenever you’re using a package forwarding service to ship items from the US to Canada, make sure to account for increased shipping times.
Compared to ordering items online from local platforms like Amazon Canada (I love my two-day Prime shipping), shopping online with Claire’s in Canada is going to seem like snail mail.
In addition to the three to five days it takes to ship your Claire’s order to your package forwarding warehouse, you’ll also need to account for two to four weeks of time for your package to pass through customs and arrive in Canada.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship Claire’s To Canada?
In addition to the long shipping times that you’ll need to deal with to ship Claire’s to Canada, you’ll also have to pay extra for international shipping. Thankfully, there aren’t any shipping duties you’ll need to pay.
However, shipping items internationally through a forwarding service can cost anywhere between $20 and $200, depending on how quickly you want your package.
The lengthiest shipping times can take upwards of two months to arrive, while the quickest shipping times may arrive in two to three weeks.
Did Claire’s Go Bankrupt?
After the 2020 pandemic, Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. It primarily relied on its retail stores to generate income, and the retail economy took a massive hit during the crisis.
The company survived, though, even after bankruptcy (although it did have to shut down nearly 100 stores). Just recently, in 2022, Claire’s went public with its first IPO. This big move could see the brand expanding into Canada more in the future.
Conclusion – Does Claire’s Ship To Canada From The US?
Although Claire’s does not offer online shopping options from the US to Canada, consumers can get around this restriction by using a package forwarding service to receive their orders in the US.
However, package forwarding can be both expensive and time-consuming, which is why I recommend shopping with a more local brand. You’ll save money and get your package a lot quicker.
Interested in more money-saving hacks? Check out my intuitive guide to saving money (even if you’re on a budget) next!
