Pulaski to unveil Build-A-Bear group at market

Pulaski's much-anticipated Build-A-Bear Workshop Home collection debuts at the High Point Market this month and it's one of the largest collections the company has ever launched with about 150 SKUs.

The collection has been eight months in the making. Pulaski worked with kids, moms and designers to incorporate the brand essence of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a name that rivals Disney for brand awareness among kids and moms, a survey showed.

St. Louis-based Build-A-Bear Workshop, founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark, has more than 255 stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland with franchise stores in Europe, Asia and Australia. The company posted total revenue of $362 million in fiscal 2005.

Pulaski is expecting big numbers from the launch, which includes juvenile and youth furniture as well as accessories.

"Casa Cristina did $21 million; it's been a huge success for us," said David Corbin Pulaski's vice president of marketing. "Build-A-Bear Workshop Home will be bigger than that."

Gallery programs will encompass about 500 square feet, Corbin said, and stores will be asked to have "one to show and two to go" so consumers can visualize the choices. Product will hit retail stores in March.

Pulaski worked with author and marketing-to-moms guru Maria Bailey and Craig Yoe, former Sesame Street creative director, to conduct focus groups with children and their parents, and it sponsored an online kids furniture design contest. Kids, in fact, were part of the initial design team and came up with several ideas that were incorporated into the finished line. One of the most noticeable contributions from the young designers can be found on the signature chest of drawers. Behind the glass center door is a drawer specially designed to display either a seated or reclining Build-A-Bear.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Home is composed of four collections — a casual girls' group, Pawsitively Yours; a casual boys' group, Beariffic; a formal girls' group, Pawsitively Perfect; and a storage group that complements the other groups. Pulaski is hitting the middle price points with $499 suggested retail on the beds and cribs. There also are coordinating accessories from CBK and infant and youth bedding from Springs Inds.

The Asian-made furniture includes cribs and changing units; beds, including loft, bunk and full beds; dressers and chests; mirrors; night stands; and desks and hutches. Storage options are grouped by general storage, with bookcases, bins and trunks; craft storage, with a craft table; chair and cocktail table; and wall storage with shelves, desks, hutches and entertainment units.

The formal girls' group is finished in white and has shaped head and footboards and the choice of a low poster, sleigh or panel bed with matching dresser, tall chest, study center and media center. Girls can customize this group with the color options of light or dark pink, green or lavender. Pawsitively Yours also comes with these color options.

The boys' group has a honey-colored finish in a choice of bunk or stand-alone bed, under the bed storage options and more. Boys can customize their furniture with the color options of red, blue or green. All of the groups also come with two sets of custom hardware, one of which features a bear face.

The Creativity kit, sold separately for $39, features static cling borders, bear character wallies, stencils, markers, pushpins and more so kids can further personalize their rooms.

Pulaski plans to support the brand at retail with in-store events using a portable bear stuffing machine, POP material referencing the furniture collection in Build-A-Bear Workshop stores, cross merchandising on the BABW Web site and marketing campaigns that make use of BABW's targeted database of more than 15 million kids.

Pulaski will launch Build-A-Bear Workshop Home with an opening day press conference with Maxine Clark and Pulaski's Larry Webb. The retailer's mascot, Bearemy, will also attend market and will welcome the band at the Furniture/Today market kick-off party on Sunday, October 15. Pulaski will have the portable bear machine in its showroom so attendees can share the experience firsthand.

Beariffic is one of four collections in the Build-A-Bear Workshop Home debut. Like the other groups, it can be customized with color panels on the case pieces.

Pulaski worked with kids to develop the line and this signature Bearemy cubby space is a direct result of the young designers' efforts. The pull-out drawer houses a seated or reclining bear.