IS AN EVOCATIVE RETAIL EXPERIENCE ENOUGH TO TURN BUILD-A-BEAR AROUND?
The In-Store Build-A-Bear Experience Although the company is 13 years old, the Build-A-Bear retail experience has won the hearts and loyalty of three generations of stuffed animal buyers—kids, parents, and grandparents. Since 1997, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has pioneered an experiential retail formula and built a strong, evocative brand experience. I’ve enjoyed taking my grandchildren to Build-A-Bear stores at a number of malls around the country to select, stuff, and personalize their own stuffed animals. It’s a pleasant way to spend an hour with a child, and you come away with nice memories and a huggable toy that is special because your child helped to create it, dressed it, and named it. The in-store experience of building your own stuffed bear, puppy, duck, dinosaur, or zebra (or any of 30 animals or characters) is a well-designed, high-touch, and caring experience. First, the child selects which animal they want to create and picks the “skin” out of a bin. Then they select a sm
