ST. LOUIS 鈥 Build-A-Bear Workshop shares declined this week after the toy retailer reported falling revenue for its most recent quarter, following a summer promoting new lines of pre-stuffed plushies that company leaders said didn't catch on.
The company was also unable to renew its multimillion-dollar wholesale partnership with Walmart, corporate leaders told investors Thursday. The company lowered its full year outlook to between $500 million and $525 million in total revenues. Previously, Build-A-Bear projected total revenue from $530 million to $550 million.
Build-A-Bear CEO Chris Hurt said that the company鈥檚 spring launches weren鈥檛 as strong this year compared to last year鈥檚 record-breaking Fruit Stand collection and Sanrio Sweet Shop line.
鈥淪ummer is a time when you would want to push that envelope,鈥 Hurt said. 鈥淭he reality is, we pushed it too far.鈥
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The company鈥檚 2026 summer collection includes 鈥淪lushie Plushie,鈥 toys, bags and charms inspired by fruity frozen drinks. The toys can be customized to include a matching scent and a recorded sound.
There are also new Mashimals, a make-your-own line that combines animals with 鈥渦nexpected objects鈥 to get things like the 鈥淐rab 'n' Go Cooler鈥 and the 鈥淥ctopail.鈥 Plus, Build-A-Bear debuted Beary Goods, a pre-stuffed line of summer objects like waves, the sun, palm trees and sand castles.
鈥淭hat product did not resonate as well with our consumers. It wasn't as dressable. It didn't go through the full customization experience, and as a result, we saw weaker results from that product line,鈥 Hurt told investors.
Company leaders told investors Thursday that the revenue fell 7.2% to $115.3 million, compared to the same period last year of $124.2 million, for the quarter ending Aug. 1.
Net retail sales were $106.5 million and decreased 7.1%.
Consolidated e-commerce demand (online orders fulfilled from either the company鈥檚 warehouses or its stores) decreased 15.6% and commercial and international franchise revenues decreased 9% this past quarter. Build-A-Bear also opened nine new locations but closed four partner-operated stores.
Losing the wholesale deal with Walmart was a drag on the company, officials said.聽
鈥淎t the same time, some of the other initiatives haven't panned out at the pace that we anticipated them,鈥 Voin Todorovic, Build-A-Bear鈥檚 chief financial officer said. 鈥淲e said our total commercial segment would grow at least 20%. Now we are bringing it down to basically being flat. Pretty much all of that decline, it's tied back to our traditional wholesale miss.鈥
And, according to filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Build-A-Bear fired its chief growth officer David Henderson this week. Henderson was named to the role in June.
Build-A-Bear is headquartered in 最新杏吧原创. It was founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark and opened its first store in Richmond Heights鈥 最新杏吧原创 Galleria Mall.
View life in 最新杏吧原创 the week of Aug. 9, 2026 through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Video edited by Jenna Jones.
