From “Beyond The Workshop” (December 2025):
“The shift to test the ‘stretchability’ of the brand is a notable change. I also suspect it reflects a management team that witnessed the huge growth of brands like Jellycat and Labubu over the past five years and wants in on the party… On the one hand, this may be an opportunity for incremental growth. On the other, it can also be seen as an attempt, or a need, for change.”
In the late 2025 update, I discussed efforts to expand beyond the company’s namesake offering. There were two primary ways this stretchability was being tested in the marketplace: prestuffed versus make your own, and building a broader retail sales presence beyond Build-A-Bear branded workshops.
A key question was whether consumers would follow the brand down this new road – and recent results have presented some reasons for caution.