Press Release
BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP® TO OPEN at Coolsprings Galleria!
Build-A-Bear Workshop is based on the premise that nearly everyone, regardless of age, has a special fondness for stuffed animals. At Build-A-Bear Workshop, visitors, or Guest Bear Builderssm, create their own stuffed animals as they "choose, stuff, stitch, fluff, name and dress" their way through a series of bear-making stations. A variety of inventive bear merchandise is also available, including hundreds of coordinating outfits and accessories.
Chief Executive Bear Maxine Clark, former president of Payless ShoeSource,
knows what families want in a shopping experience, and the store is her response
to happy memories of shopping as a child. The Build-A-Bear Workshop innovative
store concept takes children's interactive entertainment retailing to a new
level, combining the process of making your own bear with the exciting atmosphere
and fun of shopping the way it used to be. "When I was young, it was exciting
for me to see all the decorations in the stores, and I loved every minute of
it," says Clark. "That excitement was something I wanted to
re-create for children and families today."
"We want to provide a quality fun shopping experience for children and families," says Clark. "Besides, we all need to remember what it is to be a kid. We love seeing the smiles on our Guests' faces, sharing their excitement and watching them have fun."
Friends 2B Made™
The newest addition to the entertainment retailer's product line is Friends
2B Made™, which is based on the simple premise that kids, especially girls,
love dolls. Now they can create their own fashionable friends! With sparkly
eyes, manicured toes, super hair and overall great style, these dolls are the
most wonderful friends a girl could ever wish for! Each outfit comes with 2
free charms, one for the doll and one for her best friend, enhancing their collectibility
and stylish fun! With this new line of products, the brand contains the highest
of quality merchandise, marketing and customer service that the Build-A-Bear
Workshop brand has established. The merchandise is also value priced with dolls
at $12, accessories $2 and complete outfits for $8.
Clark is looking forward to opening another store in Nashville. She notes, "Our plan is always to open in the premier malls across the country, and we will continue this approach as we open at CoolSprings Galleria. Now that we are opening this store, in addition to our Opry Mills store, we will be able to reach more Build-A-Bear Workshop® Guests in the Nashville area and we are thrilled to be there."
In 2004, a major focus of the company is its continued commitment to causes that support children and animals. A number of animals in the Build-A-Bear Workshop line provide Guests the opportunity to support these causes by having a portion of the proceeds of their purchase donated. In addition to the cause-related animals, Build-A-Bear Workshop will launch the Huggable HeroesSM program on March 18 to recognize and honor young heroes that have impacted their own neighborhoods, schools and communities by giving of themselves to others. Build-A-Bear Workshop is searching for young people between the ages of 8-18 who have made a difference in the areas of children's health and wellness, literacy, domestic animal safety and responsible pet ownership, and the protection of endangered animals and habitat. Twelve Huggable Heroes will be selected to be featured in the 2005 Huggable Heroes Calendar and will receive special recognition during the year. Nominations will be accepted through June 10. More information is available at all Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and online at http://huggableheroes.buildabear.com.
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an interactive, entertainment mall-based retailer
that invites Guests of all ages to create their own customized stuffed animals
through an exciting bear-making process. The first store opened in St. Louis,
Missouri, in 1997, and the company now operates over 150 locations in the USA
with four stores in Canada. Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its first international
store in Sheffield, England in the fall of 2003 and recently opened stores in
Japan and Korea. The company is on track to open more international stores this
year including its first stores in France and Denmark, making it the global
leader in the teddy bear business. Early this year, Build-A-Bear Workshop introduced
Friends 2B Made™, a new product line based on the simple premise that kids,
especially girls, love dolls. With sparkly eyes, manicured toes, super hair
and overall great style, these dolls are the most wonderful friends a girl could
ever wish for! For more information on the company and its products call (888)
560-BEAR or visit the company's award-winning web site at www.buildabear.com.