We went today because my daughter got a gift card from "Santa" and we'd never been before because Holyoke isn't close to us in the slightest. Well, Santa only got a $35 gift card because he didn't know what the going rate was for a Build-A-Bear. Truth be told, you'll likely need a little bit more than that unless you're building a budget-basement bear.
$56 is a little bit steep for the finished product we have, but they're a company paying pricey mall rents so -- I get it. You first have to pick a "shell" of an animal that ranges in the mid-$20s for most options. Then, decide if you want it to sing, be scented and how "stuffed" you want it to be. Then there's a bunch of clothing options -- which can be really overwhelming for a parent since you're probably trying to control the cost but your child is ripping everything off it's hook and bringing it back to the "try on" area.
The staff was all really kind and perfect for the business they were in. I was really impressed with Brandi. She had a great attitude and really got into her role of working with children. I told her immediately we'd never been and she was welcoming with answering questions and helping my daughter every step of the way. When placing in the "heart" of her bear, she had my daughter do a number of little steps (Jump up and down with it so it has energy! Give it a kiss!) that personalized that minor process for her even though it was just a felt heart getting dropped into a stuffed animal. It might be part of a script she had to follow, but I was totally buying her presentation.
I work in retail myself so I'm always really appreciative when I find a sales staff that is knowledgeable, takes their job seriously and doesn't act like you're bothering them. read more