As it seeks to drive a long lifetime of loyalty, Claire’s is starting young. The trendy retail chain is introducing a new push called The Collab, a select group of seven Gen Alpha and Gen Z influencers ranging in age from 7 to 20 who will work with the brand on advertising and product development.

Kristin Patrick, executive VP, chief marketing officer and head of e-commerce at Claire’s, noted that the chain is in “constant dialogue” with its consumers. “They want us to help style their dorm and bedrooms and they want content from us,” she said. “We are letting them help guide our playbook and the direction of where we are going.”

Patrick helped coin the term “Zalpha,” a combination of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the group born beginning in 2010, two years ago when the chain began airing its first TV campaign.

Claire’s selected its new creator group internally through people in its “community through conversations with our consumers, our cultural curators and partners as well as social media,” Patrick said. The retailer is working with its agency Shadow on PR.

Though partnering with child influencers under the age of 18 can be a murky landscape still lacking in regulation and legal guidelines, Claire’s does have experience working with younger consumers.

Patrick noted that Claire’s previous initiatives such as Dear Claire, a dialogue series with 12 Gen Z consumers, and its TikTok Creator Program have also helped the retailer stay in touch with customer preferences.

Also read: How to get Gen Z to shop in stores

The seven “Zalpha” creators on Claire’s marketing roster include Ayla Palmer, a 7-year-old fashion designer, Ariana Feygin, a 19-year-old chef and Kaylee Foxhoven, a 17-year-old soccer player. They will advise on creative content and activations such as in-store experiences and events. In addition, the group will help with styling photo shoots and create content on social media.

While the current Collab program will run for one year, Claire’s is planning to have open casting calls in the future for more members.

Gen Z has helped boost the popularity of many brands, including Converse and Ugg, but the younger Alpha is also beginning to have sway. Unlike previous generations, Gen Alpha in particular has emerged as a more brand-aware group that builds on Gen Z likes and dislikes to inform its consumer choices. Experts say that brands, especially those typically geared to adults such as Lululemon and Stanley, that deepen their connections with the group now are better positioned for a lifetime of wallet share. Indeed, by 2029, the generation’s collective global economic footprint is expected to surpass $5.46 trillion, according to McCrindle, a social research firm in Australia.