Build-a-Bear (BBW), a specialty retailer, has made a name for itself as the place to not only get a unique furry friend, but, a unique, personalized shopping experience.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Build a Bear offers 30 styles of stuffed animals, along with clothing, shoes, and accessories available to customize the stuffed animals. The company has also penned a number of strategic relationships with some pretty big names, such as Disney, DreamWorks Animation, and Hasbro to create Build a Bear versions of beloved pop culture characters. The company’s Build-A-Bear Workshop brand is made available through a number of sales channels, including:
- Over 300 retail locations owned stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark
- 77 franchised stores internationally
- e-commerce websites
- buildabear.com
- Buildabear.co.uk
Furthermore, last year, BBW unveiled the latest addition to its family of customizable friends. In partnership with Dreamworks, the company unveiled its line of Make-Your-Own plush based on the animated film, Trolls.
Thanks to its dedication to proving an interactive retail-entertainment experience and partnerships with leading media brand, Build a Bear is positioned to continue creating fond memories and lifelong BBF’s.
It must be noted how this brand has fought to reinvent itself and update its business model. The company is more data-driven and efficient, especially in its decision to lean on its partnerships. In addition, the company’s sales have been balanced between age groups with teens sharing 26% of sales and 6-8 year-olds taking 25% (via company presentation materials from 2016).
BBW has also rolled out its “Discovery Store” locations. The models have been popular at the 43 locations estimating higher dollar transactions and fueling international growth. The company has also partnered with Carnival Cruise Lines and will be expanding to 25 ships by the middle of the year. A few AMC Theatres will also have BBW stores on-site due to the important movie licenses the company has obtained.
The company has clearly worked to level its partnerships in mid-tier markets and new initiatives to boost profits.
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