New Retail-tainment Experience Brings Brands
Together in LA's Premium Shopping and Entertainment Destination to
Celebrate Hello Kitty's 50th Anniversary
ST.
LOUIS, Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Build-A-Bear
Workshop (NYSE: BBW) is excited to announce the official
opening of the first ever Build-A-Bear x Hello Kitty®
and Friends Workshop on November
15, 2024, at the renowned Westfield Century City in
Los Angeles. This one-of-a-kind
retail destination was designed in collaboration with
Sanrio®, the global lifestyle brand best known for pop
culture icon Hello Kitty®, in honor of the beloved
character's 50th anniversary this year. The
retail-tainment experience celebrates Hello Kitty® and
Friends characters with exclusive products and gives guests an
opportunity to experience the personalized, memorable process for
which Build-A-Bear is known. The opening of the Build-A-Bear x
Hello Kitty® and Friends Workshop, in addition to
exclusive new holiday Sanrio® designs, reflects
the popularity of the Sanrio® collection among both
adults and children alike. Notably, this opening falls during
the same week as World Kindness Day, a day that celebrates
friendship, kindness, and inclusivity – the core values that Hello
Kitty® and Friends represent.
The Build-A-Bear x Hello Kitty® and Friends Workshop
will feature exclusive offerings inspired by Hello
Kitty® and her friends, ensuring fans of all ages can
enjoy a unique and personalized experience. Guests can look forward
to a festive atmosphere with pink aprons, pink and white shopping
bags, and customized pink birth certificates for their new plush
friends.
A grand opening event will take place on November 15, the same day the store officially
opens its doors to the public and will feature a ribbon-cutting
ceremony with Hello Kitty to mark the official launch. Attendees
will be among the first to witness this new take on the signature
Build-A-Bear experience while the first 50 guests will receive a
special gift.
"The opening of the Build-A-Bear x Hello Kitty® and
Friends Workshop is a meaningful moment for both of our brands,"
said Sharon Price John, President
and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop. "This workshop is about creating
a space where guests of all ages can connect with their favorite
Sanrio characters in a fun and memorable way. It's a special
experience that brings together the magic of childhood with the
creativity of today's culture, and we're excited to share it with
the West Los Angeles
community."
"Hello Kitty is a powerful source of comfort, nostalgia, and
self-expression for her fans, and a partnership with Build-A-Bear
is a natural fit for the Hello Kitty and Friends brand where guests
can create their own custom plush to reflect their individuality,"
said Craig Takiguchi, Chief
Operating Officer of Sanrio, Inc. "During this milestone
50th anniversary year, we've been focused on offering
collectible products and experiences while building connection
points for fans, and this special workshop provides Hello Kitty and
Build-A-Bear fans alike the ultimate opportunity to make memories
with their loved ones while creating one-of-a-kind special
friends."
This collaboration between Build-A-Bear and Sanrio®
represents a union of two iconic brands and reflects a new chapter
in their longstanding, successful relationship which has driven
lifetime sales of more than three million Hello Kitty®
and Friends themed plush items.
In addition to the opening of the new Workshop,
Sanrio® fans can enjoy a line of exclusive holiday
designs at Build-A-Bear. Guests can visit www.buildabear.com or
head to their nearest participating Workshop to build their very
own Red Bow Hello Kitty® plush and accessorize it with a
Hello Kitty® Holiday Dress, an Evergreen Cinnamoroll™
with a holiday suit, a Candy Cane Kuromi™ with a festive dress, a
mini Snowy Tiny Chum plush and more. An online-exclusive Merry My
Melody™ plush is also available to purchase on
www.buildabear.com.
About Build-A-Bear®
Since its beginning in
1997, Build-A-Bear has evolved to become a beloved
multi-generational brand focused on its mission to "add a little
more heart to life" where guests of all ages make their own "furry
friends" in celebration and commemoration of life moments. Guests
create their own stuffed animals by participating in the stuffing,
dressing, accessorizing, and naming of their own teddy bears and
other plush toys based on the Company's own intellectual property
and in conjunction with a variety of best-in-class licenses. The
hands-on and interactive nature of our more than 500 company-owned,
partner-operated and franchise experience locations around the
world, combined with Build-A-Bear's pop-culture appeal, often
fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection with consumers,
and has enabled the Company to expand beyond its retail stores to
include e-commerce sales on www.buildabear.com and non-plush
branded consumer categories via out-bound licensing agreements with
leading manufacturers, as well as the creation of engaging content
via Build-A-Bear Entertainment (a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear
Workshop, Inc.). The brand's newest communications campaign, "The
Stuff You Love," commemorates more than a quarter-century of
creating cherished memories worldwide. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
(NYSE: BBW) posted consolidated total revenues of $486.1 million for fiscal 2023. For more
information, visit the Investor Relations section of
buildabear.com.
About Sanrio®
Sanrio® is the global lifestyle brand best known for
Hello Kitty® who was created in 1974, and home to many
other beloved character brands such as My Melody™, Kuromi™,
LittleTwinStars™, Cinnamoroll™, Pompompurin™, gudetama™,
Aggretsuko™, Chococat™, Badtz-maru™ and Keroppi™. Sanrio was
founded on the philosophy that a small gift can bring happiness and
friendship to people of all ages. Since 1960, this philosophy has
served as the inspiration to offer quality products, services and
activities that promote communication and inspire unique consumer
experiences across the world. Today, Sanrio's business extends into
the entertainment industry with several content series, gaming
offerings and theme parks. Sanrio boasts an extensive product
lineup which is available in over 130 countries. Sanrio hopes to
bring smiles to everyone's faces with their vision of "One World, Connecting Smiles." To learn more
about Sanrio, please visit www.sanrio.com and follow @sanrio and
@hellokitty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and
subscribe to the Hello Kitty and Friends YouTube Channel.
About Westfield Century City
A Los Angeles escape like no other, nestled
amidst acres of open space and beautifully landscaped outdoor
plazas, Westfield Century City combines on-trend fashion brands,
award-winning chefs and culinary experiences, headline events and
entertainment, multi-faceted health and wellness amenities, public
art installations, and cultural programming – all in one place.
After unveiling a $1 billion makeover
in 2017 – the destination now features the West Coast's first
Eataly, a new three-level Nordstrom, a new two-level Macy's, a
fully renovated Bloomingdale's, as
well as a premium Equinox fitness club and spa. For more
information, please visit:
https://www.westfield.com/centurycity
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SOURCE Build-A-Bear Workshop
