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Experience Co-Creation in Retail

Build-A-Bear Workshop Case Study

Group Members:Girijesh KumarAshok Kumar SinghPankaj Mani

Build-A-Bear Workshop Is A Highly Successful, Innovative Retailer

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Stores Sell Stuffed Animals That Kids Design and Build In-Store

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Stores Create Unique, Interactive Retail Entertainment Experiences

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Has A Successful Track Record Of New Store

Growth

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And Its Store Model Drives Superior Sales Per Square Foot

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As Well as High Gross Margin and Expense Leverage

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The Build-A-Bear Workshop Store Consists of A Series of Fun, Fully-Interactive Bear-Making Stations Where Guests Create Their Own Stuffed Animals

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Choose Me™

Hear Me™

Stuff Me™

Stitch Me™

Fluff Me™

Name Me™

Dress Me™

Take Me Home™

In-Store Bear

Making Process

In Build-A-Bear Workshop’s stuffed animal-making assembly line, guests select the furry animal they want to make, choose the sound the creature will utter and then stuff, stitch, fluff, name, and dress their new friends. The entire process takes approximately 20 minutes.

Guests First Choose They Type of Stuffed Animal They Want To Make at

the Choose Me™ Station

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Next, They Select A Sound For Their Bear at the Hear Me Station

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The Next Step In the Process Involves Bear-Stuffing at the Stuff Me™ Station

Including Putting Hearts Inside

This Is Followed By Stitch Me™ and Fluff Me™ Steps

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Then Guests Give Their Stuffed Animals A Name at the Name Me

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Guests Finish The Process By Dressing Their New Stuffed Friends

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And By Taking Their New Stuffed Animal Home

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Store Associates Lead Customers Through The Bear-Making Process

Every Step of the Way

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For Example, Employees Help Young Customers At Each of The Bear-Making

Process Stations

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Employees Also Often Sing Happy “Bear-day” to Young Guests

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Source: www.laughingplace.com

Store Associates – “Master Bear Builders” – Are Carefully Recruited, Receive Training, and Are

Given Career Opportunities

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Employee Training Is Thorough• Associates go through a three-week training program

at “Bear University.”• Receive extensive training in customer communication and are

taught the value of working effectively as a team.• Allows the company to hire people without retail experience.

“ Many of our employees look at this as a career, not just a job. Employees are glad to work in a place where they receive 'psychic income.'

“ Retail may not pay top dollar, but there is a lot of satisfaction here. One of my marks of success is having our associates grow with the business and move up the chain.”

Company Founder, Maxine Clark

The Company Culture Is Fun and Highly Supportive of Employees

• Employees are called associates and have titles like professor of bearology, honey manager and bearitory leader.

• At “World Bearquarters,” employees can ride on scooters, and dogs and kids are welcome in the office

• Both the men's and women's bathrooms are equipped with diaper-changing stations and there is a room with a TV set and toys for workers' children.

• Benefits• The company offers flexible work schedules and telecommuting. • The benefits package includes medical and dental insurance, a 401K savings plan, and life

insurance• Each employee gets 15 “honey days” a year to use for vacation, illness or whatever the

person wishes. • Build-A-Bear also contributes $100 annually toward a wellness program, such as a health

club membership. • Performance Feedback

• All employees can receive feedback from individuals and departments they support• Also, “Guest Feedback” lets staff know how they measure up and what “op-bear-tunities”

they have to improve. 20

Build-A-Bear Workshop’s Interactive Platform Allows Creation of an Almost Unlimited Number of Personalized Stuffed Animals From A Small Number of SKUs

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• Less than 450 SKUs in store are able to give customers a tremendous amount of customization choice

• SKU types include animal “skins,” clothing, shoes, and accessories such as sunglasses.

Example Outfits

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Example Accessories

Example Shoes

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Example Customized Stuffed Animals

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Pricing Transparency Throughout The Bear-Making Process Allows Guests To

Remain In Control Of Their Cost

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Engages Its Key Customers – Children - and Their Communities

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Current Customers and Community

New York City Store

The Interactions That Kids Have In-Store Often Include Their Families and Friends

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By building their own stuffed animal bears, kids can be creative, play, and experience joy and fun.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Has Created A New Experience Environment Called Build-A-Party

That Involves Whole Groups Of Customers

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Build-A-Bear Workshop

In-Store Experience

Platform

Website Store

Environment

Mobile Store

Environment

SportsStadium

Store Environment

Friends 2B Made

Store Environment