build a bear workshop

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) is an American retailer where customers create their own teddy bears or other stuffed animals.

History

Build-A-Bear was founded by Maxine Clark in 1997. The first store was located in the St. Louis Galleria. Eight years later, there are over 170 stores not just in the United States but also in Canada, Japan, Korea, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom. They also have "Make Your Own Mascot" stores at Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia), Jacobs Field (Cleveland), Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati), AT&T Park (San Francisco) and Busch Stadium (St. Louis) featuring the home team's respective mascots, as well as one for Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace store. Build-A-Bear is the largest of the create-your-own animal chains with the other companies in the business consisting of regional and/or locally owned operations.

On 7 March 2006, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced that it had given $1 million (US) to the World Wildlife Fund through the sales of its WWF Collectibear(R) stuffed animal series. For each plush animal sold one dollar goes to WWF to protect and conserve wildlife around the world.^[1] On 10 May 2006, Build-A-Bear announced a line of toys based on its store would be included in McDonald's Happy Meals. It became McDonald's first ever plush toy collection to feature removable, mix-and-match clothing. Sixteen bears have been created, and were released over the four weeks between May 12 and June 8. Each of the 16 bears were released in one of two outfits, distinct to it, making 32 toys in all, before children "mix-and-match".^[2]

In 2006, the company bought over "The Bear Factory" in the United Kingdom. All the stores, around fifty in total, are in the process of being rebranded as the Build-a-Bear Workshop.

Criticism

• Build-A-Bear stores have been criticized because it is supposedly targeting only female customers in its recent years. None of this has yet to be proved.^{citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Build-A-Bear Workshop(R) Donates $1 Million for World Wildlife Fund, 7 March 2006
2. ^ Build-A-Bear Workshop(R) Featured in McDonald's(R) Happy Meal(R) and Mighty Kids Meals; Summer of Happy Meal Fun Series Includes First-Ever Plush Collection with Removable Clothing, 10 May 2006

External links

• Build-A-Bear Workshop corporate website