Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John to Retire on June 11
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 12 2026
0mins
Should l Buy BBW?
Build-A-Bear announced that as part of a multi-year planned succession process, longtime Build-A-Bear President and CEO Sharon Price John intends to retire from her role effective June 11, the date of the company's Annual Shareholders' Meeting. The Board appointed the company's tenured Chief Operations and Experience Officer Chris Hurt to succeed Price John as CEO, who will transition her responsibilities to Hurt during this period. The Board also appointed Hurt to the Board of Directors effective upon assuming the CEO role, and Price John will remain on the Board and help to ensure a smooth transition. Since joining Build-A-Bear Workshop in 2015, Hurt served as COO, and more recently, Chief Operations and Experience Officer. Prior to joining the company, Hurt was at American Eagle Outfitters from 2002 to 2015 in various senior leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including SVP of North America, VP/GM of the Factory stores, Zone VPand Regional Director. Prior to that, Hurt held positions of increasing responsibility at Polo Ralph Lauren after starting his career at The Procter & Gamble Company.
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Analyst Views on BBW
Wall Street analysts forecast BBW stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 39.430
Low
70.00
Averages
70.00
High
70.00
Current: 39.430
Low
70.00
Averages
70.00
High
70.00
About BBW
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is an experiential specialty retailer. It creates its own stuffed animals by participating in the stuffing, dressing, accessorizing, and naming of its own teddy bears and other plush toys based on the Company’s own intellectual property and in conjunction with a variety of licenses. Its segments include direct-to-consumer (DTC), commercial, and international franchising. Its DTC segment includes the operating activities of corporately managed stores, other retail-delivered operations and online sales. Its commercial segment includes transactions with other businesses and comprises wholesale sales of merchandise, supplies and fixtures, licensing the Company’s intellectual properties for third-party use, and entertainment activities. Its international franchising segment includes the activities of franchisees who operate store locations in certain countries and includes development fees, sales-based royalties, merchandise, supplies and fixture sales.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Build-A-Bear Launches Eevee Evolution Series
- Limited Release Strategy: Build-A-Bear Workshop launches the Eevee Evolution series, debuting Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, aiming to stimulate consumer collection enthusiasm through limited-time releases, thereby enhancing brand loyalty and sales.
- Ongoing Discovery Experience: The series will continue to unveil more Eevee Evolutions throughout 2026 and early 2027, ensuring that each visit offers new discoveries, which enhances customer engagement and brand interaction, ultimately driving sales growth both online and in-store.
- Strengthened Brand Positioning: Through this campaign, Build-A-Bear showcases its leadership in the retailtainment sector, aligning with pop culture trends to attract consumers of all ages, further solidifying its market share.
- Strong Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the company's fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating robust market performance and sustained growth potential.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Eevee Evolution Campaign
- Limited Release Strategy: Build-A-Bear Workshop® launches the Eevee Evolution campaign, debuting Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon, with plans for additional limited-edition plush releases throughout 2026 and early 2027, aiming to stimulate consumer collecting enthusiasm and enhance brand loyalty through time-limited offerings.
- Interactive Experience Design: The campaign creates a surprising and immersive collecting experience by releasing each Eevee evolution in waves, ensuring that customers discover new Pokémon friends with each visit, thereby enhancing customer engagement and brand interaction.
- Brand Influence Expansion: Operating over 650 locations across more than 30 countries, Build-A-Bear leverages its online platform Build-A-Bear.com to further solidify its leadership in the retailtainment industry, attracting a younger consumer base through the Eevee Evolution series.
- Strong Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported total revenues of $529.8 million for fiscal 2025, marking its fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating robust market performance and growth potential, with the Eevee series expected to further drive sales growth.
See More
Build-A-Bear Celebrates Pet Day, Emphasizing Love and Responsibility
- Pet Responsibility Awareness: Build-A-Bear's recent social media poll reveals that 86% of respondents believe hands-on experience is key to preparing for pet ownership, indicating the brand's effectiveness in fostering responsibility among children and reinforcing its position in the educational toy market.
- Uniqueness of Pet Names: The survey highlights the diversity and creativity in pet naming, with 'Bruno' being the most common yet accounting for less than 2% of responses, reflecting pet owners' emphasis on personalization and enhancing the brand's market appeal.
- Pet Type Preferences: Among adopted pets, dogs represent 45% and cats 38%, with domestic short hair and Labrador retrievers being the most popular breeds, providing market insights that guide Build-A-Bear's product development to better meet consumer demands.
- Importance of Emotional Connection: The survey indicates that 50% of pet parents view love as the most crucial aspect of pet care, followed by patience and dedication, emphasizing Build-A-Bear's brand positioning in conveying emotional value and enhancing the market potential of its Promise Pets™ collection.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Alien Cow Plush After April Fools' Prank
- Product Launch: Build-A-Bear has unveiled the special edition Alien Cow plush as the culmination of its April Fools' Day campaign, now available in stores and online while supplies last, expected to attract significant fan interest.
- Marketing Strategy: Leading up to April 1, Build-A-Bear created a mysterious atmosphere through social media and in-store experiences, successfully enhancing brand fun and creativity while increasing customer engagement.
- Design Features: The Alien Cow plush combines traditional cow characteristics with extraterrestrial elements, featuring green accents and a t-shirt that reads 'Legendairy', aimed at providing fans with a lighthearted collectible option that enriches the product line.
- Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating the brand's strong market performance and ongoing growth potential.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Alien Cow Plush After April Fools' Prank
- Product Launch: Build-A-Bear unveiled the Alien Cow plush during April Fools' Day, blending traditional cow features with extraterrestrial details, which is expected to drive sales growth and attract consumer interest.
- Marketing Strategy: By leveraging social media and in-store activities, Build-A-Bear successfully created intrigue and enhanced the brand's fun and creative image, further solidifying its position in the retail market.
- Consumer Response: The pre-launch promotional activities significantly heightened consumer engagement and anticipation, particularly through alien-themed videos on Instagram and TikTok that sparked widespread discussion.
- Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record results, demonstrating the brand's strong performance and ongoing growth potential in the market.
See More
Build-A-Bear Partners with Walmart for Limited Edition Collectibles
- First Collaboration: Build-A-Bear Workshop is launching its first wholesale distribution partnership with Walmart, introducing classic full-size tan bears and Mini Beans, marking a new retail channel breakthrough for the company.
- Limited Release: The new collection will be available starting Monday and running through May 15, with customers able to purchase at over 1,500 Walmart stores nationwide and online, expected to attract significant consumer interest.
- Personalized Experience: Customers can select their plush toys and personalize them with outfits and accessories, creating unique characters, which enhances customer engagement and brand loyalty.
- Market Reaction: Although the announcement provided a brief boost to Build-A-Bear's stock price, it did not alter the stock's four-day losing streak, indicating a cautious market response to the collaboration.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Eevee Evolution Series
- Limited Release Strategy: Build-A-Bear Workshop launches the Eevee Evolution series, debuting Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon, aiming to stimulate consumer collection enthusiasm through limited-time releases, thereby enhancing brand loyalty and sales.
- Ongoing Discovery Experience: The series will continue to unveil more Eevee Evolutions throughout 2026 and early 2027, ensuring that each visit offers new discoveries, which enhances customer engagement and brand interaction, ultimately driving sales growth both online and in-store.
- Strengthened Brand Positioning: Through this campaign, Build-A-Bear showcases its leadership in the retailtainment sector, aligning with pop culture trends to attract consumers of all ages, further solidifying its market share.
- Strong Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the company's fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating robust market performance and sustained growth potential.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Eevee Evolution Campaign
- Limited Release Strategy: Build-A-Bear Workshop® launches the Eevee Evolution campaign, debuting Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon, with plans for additional limited-edition plush releases throughout 2026 and early 2027, aiming to stimulate consumer collecting enthusiasm and enhance brand loyalty through time-limited offerings.
- Interactive Experience Design: The campaign creates a surprising and immersive collecting experience by releasing each Eevee evolution in waves, ensuring that customers discover new Pokémon friends with each visit, thereby enhancing customer engagement and brand interaction.
- Brand Influence Expansion: Operating over 650 locations across more than 30 countries, Build-A-Bear leverages its online platform Build-A-Bear.com to further solidify its leadership in the retailtainment industry, attracting a younger consumer base through the Eevee Evolution series.
- Strong Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported total revenues of $529.8 million for fiscal 2025, marking its fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating robust market performance and growth potential, with the Eevee series expected to further drive sales growth.
See More
Build-A-Bear Celebrates Pet Day, Emphasizing Love and Responsibility
- Pet Responsibility Awareness: Build-A-Bear's recent social media poll reveals that 86% of respondents believe hands-on experience is key to preparing for pet ownership, indicating the brand's effectiveness in fostering responsibility among children and reinforcing its position in the educational toy market.
- Uniqueness of Pet Names: The survey highlights the diversity and creativity in pet naming, with 'Bruno' being the most common yet accounting for less than 2% of responses, reflecting pet owners' emphasis on personalization and enhancing the brand's market appeal.
- Pet Type Preferences: Among adopted pets, dogs represent 45% and cats 38%, with domestic short hair and Labrador retrievers being the most popular breeds, providing market insights that guide Build-A-Bear's product development to better meet consumer demands.
- Importance of Emotional Connection: The survey indicates that 50% of pet parents view love as the most crucial aspect of pet care, followed by patience and dedication, emphasizing Build-A-Bear's brand positioning in conveying emotional value and enhancing the market potential of its Promise Pets™ collection.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Alien Cow Plush After April Fools' Prank
- Product Launch: Build-A-Bear has unveiled the special edition Alien Cow plush as the culmination of its April Fools' Day campaign, now available in stores and online while supplies last, expected to attract significant fan interest.
- Marketing Strategy: Leading up to April 1, Build-A-Bear created a mysterious atmosphere through social media and in-store experiences, successfully enhancing brand fun and creativity while increasing customer engagement.
- Design Features: The Alien Cow plush combines traditional cow characteristics with extraterrestrial elements, featuring green accents and a t-shirt that reads 'Legendairy', aimed at providing fans with a lighthearted collectible option that enriches the product line.
- Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record results, indicating the brand's strong market performance and ongoing growth potential.
See More
Build-A-Bear Launches Alien Cow Plush After April Fools' Prank
- Product Launch: Build-A-Bear unveiled the Alien Cow plush during April Fools' Day, blending traditional cow features with extraterrestrial details, which is expected to drive sales growth and attract consumer interest.
- Marketing Strategy: By leveraging social media and in-store activities, Build-A-Bear successfully created intrigue and enhanced the brand's fun and creative image, further solidifying its position in the retail market.
- Consumer Response: The pre-launch promotional activities significantly heightened consumer engagement and anticipation, particularly through alien-themed videos on Instagram and TikTok that sparked widespread discussion.
- Financial Performance: Build-A-Bear reported $529.8 million in total revenues for fiscal 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of record results, demonstrating the brand's strong performance and ongoing growth potential in the market.
See More
Build-A-Bear Partners with Walmart for Limited Edition Collectibles
- First Collaboration: Build-A-Bear Workshop is launching its first wholesale distribution partnership with Walmart, introducing classic full-size tan bears and Mini Beans, marking a new retail channel breakthrough for the company.
- Limited Release: The new collection will be available starting Monday and running through May 15, with customers able to purchase at over 1,500 Walmart stores nationwide and online, expected to attract significant consumer interest.
- Personalized Experience: Customers can select their plush toys and personalize them with outfits and accessories, creating unique characters, which enhances customer engagement and brand loyalty.
- Market Reaction: Although the announcement provided a brief boost to Build-A-Bear's stock price, it did not alter the stock's four-day losing streak, indicating a cautious market response to the collaboration.
See More
