Brooklyn Charm helped pioneer the charm bar concept, turning jewelry shopping into a hands-on experience.

How It Works

Charm bars typically offer chains and other findings as the foundation for unique pieces. Craft Habit, for example, carries necklace- and bracelet-length chains, earring wires, keychains, carabiners, kilt pins, zipper pulls, and cell phone lanyards that can be embellished with charms.

From there, the charm choices are endless: tiny Starbucks cups, fuzzy critters, blingy crystals, pearls, metal initial charms and much, much more. They may be individually priced or grouped by price. At Craft Habit, charms range from $1.75 to $8, with the majority under $2. 

“My favorite thing,” Ferguson says, “is hearing people giggling and exclaiming when they find a charm that speaks to them, or saying to a friend, ‘Oh, you gotta see this one!’ ” Campbell agrees:

“Everyone wants a little tiny cute version of something that triggers their happy memories,” she says.

A bar can offer hundreds or even thousands of charms from various sources. For her shop, Ferguson buys from jewelry wholesalers, Etsy sellers and other online sources. When Campbell started Brooklyn Charm, she sourced unique vintage or closeouts from bead stores that were going out of business.  

At some bars, employees assemble the pieces. At others, customers are invited to attach the charms themselves with jump rings. Charms are typically displayed in open trays, but Ferguson says theft isn’t a major concern. “I’m sure some charms walk out inadvertently and on purpose once in a while,” she says. “Our margin on charms takes into account some loss, breakage and theft.” 

At Brooklyn Charm, thousands of charms offer endless ways for customers to tell their stories through jewelry.

Riding the Trend

Charms work their magic on almost everyone, from older adults who remember wearing charm bracelets to Gen Zers following TikTok trends to bachelorette parties to crafty kids. “Almost everyone loves the charm bar,” Ferguson says. “It will be busy with kids when a birthday party finishes up, but just as many adults get caught up in the treasure hunt.”

Sarah Sewell, a small business strategist who works with makers and shop owners, sees the trend continuing.

“Charm bars are really just one expression of a larger consumer movement toward personalization,” she says. “People want to build something that feels personal rather than wearing the exact same thing as everyone else.”

And the trend goes beyond jewelry, with charms accessorizing shoes, phones, bags; even those ubiquitous travel beverage mugs. 

While opening a permanent charm bar shop requires a large investment, launching with a pop-up shop can be done with as little as $2,000 on up to $50,000, Campbell estimates, depending on the quality of the inventory and the size of the booth. For a pop-up or craft show setup, Ferguson recommends a minimum of 200 styles of charms (but with small quantities of each), along with findings in a variety of finishes. “You’ll need containers for the charms, some samples to help people visualize, small shopping trays, signage and tools.” She suggests adding fun visuals to draw attention, since charms are so small. 

The margin on charms is high – more than other craft supplies sold at Craft Habit – but the consumer spend is lower. “Most charm bar purchases total $20 to $30 for six to 15 items,” Ferguson says. 

Spreading the Word

As with any business venture, marketing – especially on social media – is important for success. User-generated content bubbles up naturally as people post photos of the jewelry they’ve made. 

Campbell also counts on giveaways to promote Brooklyn Charm. “Nowadays, when we do events or pop-ups, I’m not necessarily there to vend,” she says. “I’m there to give things away and have it be an interactive free activity for participants.” Allowing people to make a one-charm bracelet or necklace generates good publicity for her shop. In the Venice Beach location, customers can make a free beaded bracelet with every purchase. 

Events, whether held in-store or offsite, can increase profits. “Charm bars are the most popular thing to do as an activation at corporate events,” Campbell explains. She and her team have worked with major brands on staff events. The employees love it and Campbell is guaranteed a high return on her time. With enough lead time, she can even have themed charms manufactured for the event. 

Supplementing the charm bar with additional goods for sale is common, including items like permanent jewelry, vintage clothing, accessories or other craft supplies. Continuously adding new charms to the inventory attracts repeat customers, Ferguson says. “Now that our charm bar is established, we spend about $400 each month on replenishing and adding new options.”

Customers at Craft Habit’s charm bar mix and match affordable charms to create pieces that feel uniquely their own.

Behind all the fun and novelty, Campbell believes there should be transparency with buyers. She cautions anyone thinking of starting a charm bar to do their homework and know what they’re selling. Learning about the base metals or materials in their findings and charms will help them price items accordingly and educate buyers on how those materials hold up.

“At the end of the day, charms are small, affordable and collectible,” Sewell says. “It makes them incredibly sticky as a trend.”

The ability to start with one piece and add to it over time is another plus for customers. “It’s storytelling you can wear.”

Janice Brewster Weiser

contributor