Build-A-Bear Workshop Unveils Newly Imagined Store at Fair Oaks Mall

New Store Concept Updates Hands-On Bear-Making Process with Interactive Features

November 01, 2012 // Franchising.com // ST. LOUIS - Build-A-Bear Workshop®, the interactive entertainment retailer of customized stuffed animals, announced today that its highly anticipated newly designed store at Fair Oaks Mall will open on Friday, Nov. 9. The store is one of six that the company will open this year in select markets across the United States.

Build-A-Bear Workshop has spent the last two years creating the newly imagined store design that merges the hands-on bear-making experience with innovative technology that is central to how kids play today. The updated store allows Guests of all ages to personalize the bear-making process and offers them a different experience each time they visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop store.

“Build-A-Bear Workshop invented experiential mall-based retailing 15 years ago and has been the leader in providing interactive experiences for kids of all ages,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear. “Since our inception, over 100 million stuffed animals have been made in our stores. With this new store design, we are combining the love of a teddy bear with the best of digital technology. We look forward to continuing our leadership in the interactive retail space.”

Newly Imagined Store Design

While the Build-A-Bear Workshop signature process remains at its core, Guests who visit the new stores will see noticeable changes to the company’s trademarked stuffed animal-making experience including:

New Locations

Other newly designed Build-A-Bear Workshop stores located in shopping centers throughout the United States include:

Fair Oaks Mall is owned and managed by The Taubman Company. “Build-A-Bear Workshop and The Taubman Company have had a tremendous relationship for many years,” said Ed Cassidy, marketing & sponsorship director, The Taubman Company. “We are very happy that Build-A-Bear Workshop has selected Fair Oaks Mall as the site of one of its newly designed stores.”

Bears Working Together

“It takes a village to raise a bear and our newly imagined store concept was created with many partners who have helped turn our vision for Build-A-Bear Workshop into a reality,” said Clark. “We worked with companies and individuals who are leaders in their industries, many with which we have had long term relationships. There were many supporting partners that have contributed to a highly innovative brand experience.”

Working with Build-A-Bear Workshop on the new store concept were Adrienne Weiss Corporation, specializing in brand development and store design, Oei Design, a retail entertainment design firm, architects and construction management firm, Epoch Design Group, and Studio Productions, specializing in themed fixtures. Build-A-Bear Workshop also aligned with technology companies including Microsoft Corp, Samsung Electronics America, Infusion, Nanonation, Epicor Software, Parametric Sound Corporation, and Canvys - Visual Technology Solutions.

Leading cyber safety expert Parry Aftab, executive director and founder of WiredSafety.org and WiredTrust, worked with the company to ensure that the technological aspects meet all privacy and safety standards. WiredTrust has presented Build-A-Bear Workshop with the Socially Safe seal for its new store concept. This is the first time that the organization has given this award to a brick and mortar retailer.

Building on the tradition of including kids at the imagination stage and listening to what is important to them; Build-A-Bear Workshop also enlisted a group of “Cub Advisors,” children and their parents, to provide suggestions and help perfect the working model of the design.

“The Cub Advisors have helped us achieve our mission to bring the teddy bear to life while providing the ‘funnest’ hour of a family’s day,” said Clark. “Our new stores will continue to redefine the retail industry, much like we did 15 years ago. The addition of new sensory and technological features to our store concept will further propel Build-A-Bear Workshop to our next level of success. With over 400 stores in 18 countries worldwide, we have learned that a teddy bear hug is understood in any language. Our brand knows no boundaries and we look forward to significant expansion and growth for Build-A-Bear Workshop, both in the United States and internationally, in the future.”

About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. There are more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Mexico and South America. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop is the leader in interactive retail. Brands include make-your-own Major League Baseball® mascot in-stadium locations, and Build-A-Dino® stores. Build-A-Bear Workshop extends its in-store interactive experience online with its award winning virtual world and entertainment destination website at bearville.com™. The company was named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the fourth year in a row in 2012. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $394.4 million in fiscal 2011. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning website at buildabear.com®.

Trademarks

We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full name: Build-A-Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build.”

Build-A-Bear Workshop is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Retail Management, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.

Contact:

Jill Saunders
314-423-8000 ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
JillS@buildabear.com

Shannon Lammert
314-423-8000 ext. 5379
314-556-8841 (cell)
ShannonL@buildabear.com

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear, a global brand kids love and parents trust, seeks to add a little more heart to life.

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