In mid-February, Build-A-Bear Workshop took possession of a 2000 square foot location at Avalon Mall in St John’s in Newfoundland. The first Build-A-Bear ‘experience’ store in Newfoundland, the unit is expected to open by early May. Build-A-Bear Workshop is a specialty retailer that offers an interactive experience where customers create their own personalized stuffed animals. Founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark and headquartered in St. Louis, the company operates more than 650 company-owned, partner-operated and franchise experience locations across more than 30 countries, as well as a growing eCommerce platform. Guests select a plush animal and customize it with clothing, accessories, and recorded messages during an in-store ‘make-your-own’ process. In mid-2003, the chain opened its first international location in Canada, in West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton and presently there are about 15 stores in Canada. Build-A-Bear has also expanded its brand through entertainment partnerships, themed collections, and digital initiatives, positioning itself as both a toy retailer and an experiential lifestyle brand focused on family-friendly entertainment. In its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 ended January 31, 2026, Build-A-Bear Workshop reported record fourth-quarter revenue of $154.5-million(US), compared to $150.4-million(US), and for the fiscal year, total revenues were also a record $529.8-million(US), compared to $496.4-million(US). For its fiscal 2026 outlook, Build-A-Bear anticipates total revenue growth on a mid-single-digit percentage basis and net new unit growth of at least 50 ‘experience’ locations through a combination of corporately-managed, partner-operated, and franchised business models.
Marcel Elliott, Crombie REIT’s Director of Leasing, is responsible for the 600,000 square foot Avalon Mall at 48 Kenmount Rd. in the heart of St. John’s. With the recent completion of a $100+ million redevelopment to the regional mall, adding about 80,000 square feet to the project, with the recent additions, including Build-A-Bear, only one 1830 square foot unit remains available. “And we’d love to have ‘first-to-market’ tenants with a national presence,” said Elliott. Situated between three major throughfares and less than a kilometer from Memorial University and the province’s largest hospital, Avalon Mall’s tenant mix includes more than 50 percent unique-to-market tenants including major brands such as lululemon, Sephora, Five Guys, Banana Republic, Gap Factory, Tommy Hilfiger and H&M along with a Cineplex and Rec Room on the second level.
Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc., 415 S. 18th St., Suite 200, St Louis, Missouri 63103 (877/789-2327 www.buildabear.com)
Avalon Mall, 48 Kenmount Rd., St John’s, Newfoundland A1B 1W3 (Marcel Elliott -709/753-7144 marcel.elliott@crombie.ca)