ST. LOUIS, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Build-A-Bear
Workshop (NYSE: BBW) officially kicked off a year-long silver
celebration to commemorate its landmark 25th anniversary
that promises to be filled with heart and hugs! Over the past
quarter century, Build-A-Bear has been credited with reinventing
brick-and-mortar retail when it opened its first experiential
retail store in 1997. Since then, the brand has celebrated heart,
hugs, creativity, laughter, fun and friendship through the making
of more than 200 million furry friends around the world!
Originally conceived as a place for children to create their own
special teddy bear with a step-by-step process including its now
iconic Heart Ceremony, Build-A-Bear has become a
multi-generational, multi-dimensional brand appealing to diverse
consumer demographics. Since the first classic teddy bear was
stuffed in a mall in St. Louis,
Build-A-Bear has been stitched into the fabric of the lives of
many. By being a part of bedtime stories and goodnight hugs,
celebrating an untold number of birthdays and birthday parties, and
commemorating countless graduations, new babies, weddings, and
vacations, Build-A-Bear has been there for a multitude of memorable
moments. With over two decades of furry friend hugs and being a
part of so many personal milestones, it is understandable that
Build-A-Bear has achieved pop culture status and is a highly
desired brand for collectors, particularly with its collaborations
with licensed products which now cover over 75 leading film,
television, sports, gaming, art and other popular properties. With
nearly 500 global retail locations, multiple online experiences,
and a mission to "add a little more heart to life," the company is
inviting everyone to join an action-packed celebration that will
last throughout the year.
ANNIVERSARY EVENT PROMISES TO UP THE FUN FACTOR AROUND THE
GLOBE
25 Years of Furry Friends
For the
first time in its history, Build-A-Bear is opening its vault of
proprietary furry friends and will be launching limited edition
collectibles each month throughout the year. Inspired by some of
the most popular furry friends from its first 25 years, the Vault
Collection will kick off with the release of "Hearts Fur You
Puppy", a perfect choice for Valentine's Day.
Anniversary Partners: Celebratory Exclusive Product from
Leading Licensed Properties
Collaborations with popular
licensed partners will allow guests to expand their personal
collections by adding unique and highly collectible furry friends.
The collaborations will include exclusive collections with new
licensed properties and returns of some of the most popular
properties in Build-A-Bear's history with an anniversary limited
edition range. Exciting announcements are sure to come throughout
2022!
Limited Edition Silver Collection Products
An
exclusive line of furry friends, celebratory clothing and other
products will be included in a super sparkly product line that
features silver detailing that will be introduced throughout the
year. These exclusive releases are sure to add just a little bit of
extra shine to life!
It's time to "turn up the fun" on all the big and small
celebrations!
The company's iconic in-store experience is
known for being hands on, emotional and fun for all ages, and
Build-A-Bear is taking it to the next level! Starting with a silver
takeover on January 25th
that will bring silver front and center throughout the entire
Workshop, stores will offer new activities, promotions and
surprises not to be missed. These festivities will continue on the
25th of every month leading up to the anniversary! Its
popular mascot, Bearemy, will be making special appearances and
commemorative elements have been added with newly designed birth
certificates, Cub Condos and silver hearts. Each Workshop will also
feature fun in-store photo backdrops and props!
Celebrating 25 Years of Memories
As Build-A-Bear
celebrates 25 years of fun and laughter, Guests are invited to
share their favorite and furriest memories – or make new ones!
Guests can join the celebration and "Show Your Stuff" by uploading
pictures to the gallery at buildabear.com or post to social media
using #buildabear. With over 200 million furry friends made since
the company's inception, there are sure to be many memories to
share, whether it's a photo of a very first Build-A-Bear furry
friend, furry friends that commemorate special moments, or the
making of an all-new furry friend. The anniversary is the perfect
opportunity to remember past hugs & celebrate future hugs by
creating an epic time capsule of memories and personal stories.
Exclusive Member Events and Promotions
With over 9
million active members, Build-A-Bear's Bonus Club will have
member-exclusive store and online offers throughout the year. Bonus
Club members will be among the first to receive news of the latest
products, events and those still to come surprises. Sign up
online to start receiving the latest updates.
Updated Associate Development and Training
Programs
Build-A-Bear recognizes the important role that its
talented associates have in creating experiences and innovating its
business, and it's leveraging its 25th anniversary to
expand programs intended to help individuals grow personally and
professionally while boosting morale. These programs will provide
self-driven, engaging, energizing, and educational global
opportunities and resources. Elements of its "Hearts, Hugs, and
Minds" program will be introduced throughout the year.
A Night Not to Be Missed
Build-A-Bear Foundation is
also getting in on the fun and will be hosting its first-ever gala
on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at St.
Louis Union Station to honor company founder, Maxine Clark, and to raise funds for the
Foundation's renewed literacy platform. The Foundation is
partnering with First Book, the largest online community of
educators serving kids living in poverty, to support their mission
to build a path out of poverty through educational equity. Their
goal is to donate at least 125,000 books through First Book in
2022! Follow the work of Build-A-Bear Foundation on Instagram
@buildabearfoundation.
Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear
Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are
thrilled to be entering this milestone year with the positive
momentum from 2021, the most profitable year in our history.
Although we are a much different company than when we started in
1997, one thing that is the same is our commitment to add a little
more heart to life. Even as the world has changed during the last
25 years, Build-A-Bear has remained a trusted and relevant brand
with retail-tainment, personalization and "DIY" being more on-trend
now than when we first opened our doors. The brand has grown over
the years to appeal to kids and adults alike, which has helped
catapult it into pop culture status. It has been our honor and
privilege to be a part of millions of special memories as our
guests have celebrated life's big and small moments at Build-A-Bear
Workshop through the years - from birthday parties and prom
invitations to wedding proposals and "just because"
moments! We hope all our past guests, as well as new guests
visiting us for the first time, will join us for the fun of our
silver celebration!"
The details revealed today are just a first glimpse at the fun
that will be packed into the year. Stay tuned for big announcements
throughout the year on exciting partnerships, more releases from
the Vault, commemorative plush from premium licensed partners, and
MORE! Visit the 25th Celebration page to learn
more or to sign up for updates throughout the year!
ABOUT BUILD-A-BEAR®
Build-A-Bear is a
multi-generational global brand focused on its mission to "add a
little more heart to life" and appealing to a wide array of
consumer groups who enjoy the personal expression in making their
own "furry friends" to celebrate and commemorate life moments.
Nearly 500 interactive brick-and-mortar retail locations operated
through a variety of formats provide guests of all ages a hands-on
entertaining experience, which often fosters a lasting and
emotional brand connection. The company also offers an engaging
e-commerce/digital purchasing experience called the "Bear-Builder"
at www.buildabear.com. In addition, extending its brand power
beyond retail, Build-A-Bear Entertainment, a subsidiary of
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc., is dedicated to creating engaging
content for kids and adults that fulfills the company's mission,
while the company also offers products at wholesale and in
non-plush consumer categories via licensing agreements with leading
manufacturers. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted total
revenue of $255.3 million in fiscal
2020. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of
buildabear.com.
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop