OctoBEAR Ushers A Second Wave Of Collectible Plushes At Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear, the home to make-your-own-plush retail experience, announced a second drop of autumnal-themed stuffed animals for October. Retail guests can choose from several licensed characters and beloved animals from the company’s vault collection.

Build-A-Bear has honed a niche with “kidults,” adults with purchasing power interested in products targeted to kids. According to research by Circana, toys, plush, and collectibles bought by adults are now the most significant industry segment. Forty percent of the company’s consumer base are teens and adults.

"Guests have shown an increasing affinity to our scarily sweet Halloween offerings. while children remain our core consumer, Build-A-Bear has also seen a significant increase in teens and adults sales over the past few years, which have therefore had a growing influence over decisions for concepts, designs, and licenses particularly for product featured in our exclusive age-gated area on the company's website called 'The Bear Cave.'"

— Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Among the anticipated releases is Pumpkin Kitty, an orange cat with pumpkins printed on its fur. The item went viral in August after an unauthorized leak and quickly sold out; more than 55,000 names are on the waitlist for its October return.