With additional investment funds Build-A-Bear accelerated expansion, as Clark aimed to meet her goal of operating stores in Louis Galleria continued to provide a model for ideal store locations.
Although Clark's preference for premier, regional shopping malls directed expansion, Build-A-Bear expanded in an organic way as well. For instance, information obtained from the store in Myrtle Beach, a popular tourist destination, showed an unusually large number of visitors from Columbus, Ohio. While the company included Columbus in its long-term growth plan, the strong response from residents prompted the company to open a store in that area earlier, in April In addition, the company received an unusually large number of requests for a store from residents in the Dallas area, prompting Build-A-Bear to open a store in Arlington in May , followed in late summer by stores in Frisco and Fort Worth.
The company's low-key marketing approach involved print advertising in community newspapers and parenting magazines, rather than television or major city newspapers. Promotion involved direct mail marketing to customers whose addresses were obtained at naming stations during visits to stores in other cities.
The most successful marketing, for new and existing stores, occurred through the enthusiasm of children who told their friends about their memorable experience at Build-A-Bear.
Build-A-Bear continued to develop and change the merchandise mix at its stores and the clothing line expanded to more than outfits. Build-A-Bear entered its first licensing partnership for co-branded products with Skechers footwear company. The Skechers for Bears line provided paw-shaped athletic footwear for teddy bears. The line was modeled on the company's Sportline of Energy joggers and featured metallic accents. During the company's new store expansion, Build-A-Bear obtained a space at one of the premier tourist locations for families, at the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
The store is located in a fee-free area outside the theme park, in a dining, entertainment, and shopping district. The store opened in fall , the company's 32nd store opening that year, for a total of 72 stores in 30 states.
Throughout Build-A-Bear celebrated the Teddy Bear Centennial, the one hundredth anniversary of the creation of the teddy bear. The toy derived from a hunting trip taken by U.
President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, when he chose not to kill a bear cub. A Washington Post cartoonist immortalized the act, then a toy maker commemorated it with the creation of the first teddy bear.
Centennial events included the Bearriffic Bear Story writing contest. Build-A-Bear coordinated centennial celebrations with new store openings. Children's parades, fashion shows, and charity events became regular features. Events culminated with the company's th store opening in Roosevelt Field, New York on September The next day a children's parade, led by company mascot Bearemy, took celebrants to the new store where Build-A-Bear held a birthday party.
After successful collaboration on fashion shows during the Teddy Bear Centennial, in late Build-A-Bear announced a licensing agreement with Limited Too, which created a line of bear clothing based on the popular styles found at Limited Too stores for girls. Several Build-A-Bear customers requested the clothing styles for their toy bears. Previously tucked away in the back of stores, the giant contraption that forces polyester stuffing into newborn bears has been promoted: Build-A-Bear unveiled a store redesign in September to attract more foot traffic with a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience that features a 7-foot-tall filling machine.
When the company originally opened its first stores, it had to modify a pillow-stuffing machine. In November , Operation Bobbi Bear—a charitable organization focused on child welfare— invited a number of celebrities to customize their own Build-A-Bears for an auction fundraiser. Eager to increase activity on social media, Build-A-Bear produced and distributed a series of videos in that depicted Santa Claus fretting about global warming. When the company was criticized for introducing a heavy topic to their young demographic and not remaining objective, they agreed to remove the videos.
According to Forbes , the franchise has seen an increase in adults who stop in to buy clothing exclusively for their dogs. Recent years have seen Build-A-Bear come under fire for running a Pay Your Age promotion that offered discounted bears according to a child's age.
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In the mid-year, she began appearing in all Build-A-Bear Workshop commercials. It allows users to play games, explore an expanding world, and chat in a safe community. While codes are included with products bought at a Build-A-Bear Workshop and can be used to redeem in-game gifts, anyone, including non-owners of the brand's toys, can create an account and play the majority of the Bearville game.
Friends 2B Made was an interactive store that allowed customers to make dolls and purchase related accessories launched by Build-A-Bear in The store was open briefly in nine locations before closing in Build-A-Dino allows customers to create a stuffed dinosaur and purchase related accessories.
The first stand-alone store was a temporary holiday location at Chesterfield Mall in Chesterfield, Missouri , which closed after the holidays to relocate to the St. Louis Science Center.
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