Who owns Build-A-Bear?

FOR MANY years, Build-A-Bear Workshop has been a fan-favorite amongst children and stuffed animal lovers.

With their continuous success, let's take a look at the history of the American retailer.

Build-A-Bear Workshop is a multi-generational brand originating in St Louis, MissouriCredit: Build-A-Bear

As of April 2019, the current owner of Build-A-Bear Workshop is CEO and President, Sharon Price John.

However, prior to Sharon, the founder of the bear-making company, Maxine Clark, ran the show.

In 1996, Clark left her role as president of Payless Shoe Source to create Build-A-Bear Workshop after being inspired by her friend's daughter who had trouble finding a specific Beanie Baby.

A year later, in 1997, Clark created and launched her business to the world.

When was Build-A-Bear first opened?

Build-A-Bear Workshop's first flagship store opened in October 1997, at the Saint Louis Galleria mall in St Louis, Missouri.

The success of Build-A-Bear Workshop's growth allowed Clark to open a second store in August 1998, in Overland Park, Kansas.

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By 2004, Build-A-Bear Workshop branched out to 140 locations opening its first international store in Sheffield, England.

Today the store is located in 400 locations worldwide.

In 2007, Build-A-Bear Workshop partnered with The Game Factory to create a video game for Nintendo DS.

The following year, the company created a game for Nintendo Wii.

In 2018, Build-A-Bear Workshop opened 31 pilot shops in Walmarts across the United States.

The company is currently worth $271.53million as of June 2023.

Build-A-Bear has collaborated with an array of big-name franchises throughout the yearsCredit: Build-A-Bear

Who has Build-A-Bear collaborated with?

Due to Build-A-Bear Workshop's growing success, the company has collaborated with an array of franchises to create themed bears.

These collaborations include:

Who owns Build-A-Bear? | The US Sun