Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Expands to Germany with New Franchise Agreement.* Two Stores to Open This Year in Hamburg Hamburg, city, Germany Hamburg (häm`b rkh), officially Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg (Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg), city (1994 pop. . * Experienced Franchisee - Also Holds Company Franchise in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ST. LOUIS -- Build-A-Bear Workshop Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) is an American retailer that sells customizable teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Build-A-Bear is the largest of the create-your-own animal chains with the other companies in the business consisting of regional and/or locally-owned , Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : BBW BBW Big Beautiful Women BBW Big Black Women BBW Beautiful Black Women BBW Broadband Wireless BBW Bath & Body Works BBW Big Bad Wolf BBW Buyer Beware BBW Broken Bow, Nebraska (Airport Code) BBW Brake-By-Wire ), an interactive entertainment retailer of customized stuffed animals
A stuffed animal is toy animal stuffed with straw, beans, cotton or other similar materials. Some stuffed animals are very old – home made cloth dolls stuffed with straw go back to at least the , today announced an agreement with Choose Germany A/S as a new international franchisee. Choose Germany A/S is a subsidiary of Choose Holding A/S a Denmark company which also holds the franchise rights to Build-A-Bear Workshop in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The group is led by John Kristensen and Soren Nielsen and currently has five stores in Denmark and one store in Sweden; the first store in Norway is scheduled to open in late October. "We are eager to introduce our brand in Germany," said Chairman and Chief Executive Bear, Maxine Clark. "Germany is a large and exciting market for Build-A-Bear Workshop and we are fortunate to be working with our highly experienced and successful franchisee partners. John, Soren and their team understand the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand, product and store experience and the German market. Since opening their first store in Copenhagen in 2004 they have successfully expanded stores and raised brand awareness. In Hamburg, they have identified two prime real estate locations where stores will open later this year." "Germany can't wait for Build-A-Bear Workshop", said Soren Nielsen, Choose Germany A/S chief executive bear. "This unique retail-entertainment brand appeals to 'kids' of all ages and allows each Guest to create and customize their stuffed animal. Our experience and success with Build-A-Bear Workshop in Denmark gives us confidence in our ability to grow the brand in Germany. We are excited about our two initial store locations in Hamburg - in the Alstertal-Einkaufszentrum shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into and the Europa Passage arcade." Build-A-Bear Workshop expects to continue to grow internationally through third party franchisees. As of July 1, 2006, international franchisees had 22 stores open in eight countries and by year end expect to have 29 to 31 stores open. About Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, the company currently operates more than 255 stores in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The addition of franchise stores in Europe, Asia and Australia make Build-A-Bear Workshop the leader in interactive retail. In November 2004, the company expanded the make-your-own concept from stuffed animals to dolls with the opening of its first friends 2B made([R]) stores, where Guests can make their own doll friends. In April 2006, Build-A-Bear Workshop acquired The Bear Factory Limited and Amsbra, Ltd. adding company-owned stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $362 million in fiscal 2005. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2bmade.com. Forward-Looking Statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the federal securities laws) which represent the Build-A-Bear Workshop's expectations or beliefs with respect to future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Those factors include, without limitation: we may not realize some of the expected benefits of the acquisition of Amsbra and The Bear Factory; we may be unable to generate comparable store sales growth; our marketing initiatives may not generate sufficient brand awareness and sales; we may be unable to effectively manage our international franchises or comply with changing laws relating thereto; we may be unable to generate demand for our retail experience, or to respond to consumer preferences; customer mall traffic may decrease, as a result of various factors, including a reduction of consumer confidence because of terrorism or war; general economic conditions may worsen wors·en tr. & intr.v. wors·ened, wors·en·ing, wors·ens To make or become worse. worsen Verb to make or become worse worsening adjn ; our market share could be adversely affected by competitors; we may lose key personnel, or be unable to hire qualified additional personnel; vendor deliveries may be disrupted; the availability and costs of our products could be impacted by international manufacturing and trade issues; our warehousing and distribution vendors may perform poorly; we may fail to protect our intellectual property and may have infringement, misappropriation misappropriation n. the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate, or by any or other disputes or litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. with third parties; we may be unable to open new stores, renew or replace our store leases, enter into leases for new stores on favorable terms, or continue to comply with our current leases; we may experience communications or information systems failures; we may suffer negative publicity or be sued due to alleged violations of labor laws labor law, legislation dealing with human beings in their capacity as workers or wage earners. The Industrial Revolution, by introducing the machine and factory production, greatly expanded the class of workers dependent on wages as their source of income. , employee regulations or unethical unethical said of conduct not conforming with professional ethics. practices, either by the Company or its merchandise manufacturers; and we may violate or be accused of violating privacy or security laws by reason of improperly obtaining or failing to adequately protect Guest information. These and other applicable risks, cautionary statements and factors that could cause actual results to differ from the Company's forward-looking statements are included in the Company's filings with the SEC, including as described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward- looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized. |
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