Press Release
BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP® Opens at Altamonte Mall in Altamonte Springs, Florida
Build-A-Bear Workshop is based on the premise that nearly everyone, regardless of age, has a special fondness for stuffed animals. When Guests visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop store, they enter a lighthearted teddy-bear-themed environment consisting of bear-making stations. Guests choose their furry friend to make, stuff it just right, and add personality with hundreds of outfits and accessories. The company is also known for the memorable heart ceremony that takes place during the bear-making process. This station allows Guests to choose a red satin heart, make a special wish and place it inside their stuffed animal.
As Guests enter a Build-A-Bear Workshop store they are introduced to a variety
of stuffed animals including bears, dogs, cats, bunnies, monkeys and a series
of Beary Limited™ edition Collectibear® animals. Build-A-Bear Workshop®
stuffed animals are very affordable, ranging in price from $10-$25. Hundreds
of coordinating outfits and accessories are also available to further personalize
new furry friends. Guests in Orlando have the chance to show their team spirit
by purchasing special bear-sized Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays uniforms,
Tiny Tees® and accessories. In addition, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat jerseys
are available for all basketball fanatics.
As part of a company wide initiative, Build-A-Bear Workshop will host Stuffed
with Hugs Project Bearlift in an effort to help children in need. On Saturday,
May 14 the first 200 Guests to each Build-A-Bear Workshop store can make a bear
for free. Two-hundred bears will be donated to UNICEF for distribution to children
affected by the Tsunami. By participating in Stuffed with Hugs Project Bearlift,
children can help other children in need. The hug of a teddy bear can bring
a smile to any child who is facing difficult circumstances.
Stuffed with Hugs™ began in 2001 and since then Build-A-Bear Workshop has donated over 125,000 bears to worthy causes. The purpose of Stuffed with Hugs is to give children a chance to help others. According to Founder and Chief Executive Bear Maxine Clark, "Build-A-Bear Workshop is a store for, and about, kids and Stuffed with Hugs has allowed kids to put smiles on the faces of tens of thousands of other children. It is a simple, yet significant way for kids to help other kids and make a difference."
With an existing store location at The Florida Mall, Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop, is looking forward to opening the 2nd store in Orlando. 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 Altamonte Mall. We have had many Guests who have visited our other locations ask us when we will be opening at Altamonte Mall. Now, we will be able to reach even more of our friends in Orlando and we are thrilled to be here."
Build-A-Bear Workshop continues its aggressive expansion plan nationally by opening in new markets this year, including Mobile, AL, Jackson, MS, Toledo, OH, Hamilton, Ontario, Charleston, WV, Tucson, AZ, Bakersfield, CA - as well as internationally. The company has been developing its global strategy for the past several years, and has opened stores in United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, and Australia.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), with fiscal 2004 total revenue of $302 million, is the only national company that offers Guests an interactive make-your-own-stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The first store opened in St. Louis in 1997; at the end of 2004 the company operated 170 stores in 40 states and Canada. With the opening of its store in Sheffield, England, in the fall of 2003 and the addition of international stores in Japan, Denmark and Australia in 2004, Build-A-Bear Workshop® has become the global leader in the teddy bear business. In November 2004, the company opened two friends 2B made® stores, the newest concept based on the doll-making experience. For more information about the company and its products, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web site at www.buildabear.com.
TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you
write your story we would like to ask that you use our full Name: Build-A-Bear
Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals
you use the word "make" not "build".
Build-A-Bear Workshop® is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark
of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop® should only be used
in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used
as a verb.
Contact: Jennifer Mansell
314.423.8000 Ext. 5402
414.801.1146 cell
jenniferm@buildabear.com
Shawn Bertani
314.423.8000 Ext. 5366
314.452.6391 cell
shawnb@buildabear.com