The big bear hug

Based upon the simple premise that the retail experience should embrace fun, whilst making an emotional connection with the customer, Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop, has seen her company exceed expected growth. Here, she tells the story behind the world’s most huggable brand
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Build-A-Bear Workshop® currently operates more than 370 stores worldwide, including 253 company-owned stores in the US, one store in Puerto Rico, 18 in Canada, 45 in the UK, one in Ireland and three stores in France. The company also operates 53 franchise stores throughout Europe, Asia, Australia
and Africa.

Says Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear: “I had always intended to open Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in other countries, though our international expansion came much sooner than I anticipated because it was clear that the world marketplace was ready for us. We recognized that we'd have to translate the company for each new international marketplace and that we’d need help doing it.

“To grow in international markets, we embraced a franchise model and selected experienced retail partners to help us launch our brand overseas. Our franchisees have a tremendous amount of responsibility and autonomy to operate stores in their home countries and they have helped us create a very successful global brand.”

So the company sees international expansion as essential to
the continued success of the brand?
“Yes! Teddy bears are a global icon and we believe as the economies grow the concept of our brand can easily take hold,” explains Clark. “We are constantly examining new locations and markets for potential growth, both domestically and internationally.”

And how does the brand experience translate across international borders?
“Not every business translates well internationally,” she continues, “but I knew that teddy bears had universal appeal. As we like to say, a hug is understood in any language.
“As we’ve opened stores in places like London, South Africa, Paris and Tokyo, we have done our best to assimilate to local culture, while still staying true to the brand. You'll find fashions, accessories and animals in our international stores that you can’t find at our locations in the US. For instance, in Japan we sell traditional kimonos, along with our other clothing.”

For the full article please see the RLI March 08 issue