You may have heard of Build a Bear. But what is it and above all: What exactly does Build a bear stand for in Belgium?
Build-a-Bear Workshop
To understand what Build-a-Bear in Belgium stands for, it is first important to look at the concept of Build-a-Bear Workshop. This is an American chain that offers customers the opportunity to make their own cuddly toys and teddy bears. In the physical stores, customers go through an interactive process in which they put together their teddy bear, complete with scents, sounds, looks and outfits. In this way, they create completely personalized cuddly toys that are put together and ‘born’ by the customer themselves.
Build-a-Bear Workshop is the largest chain offering this unique concept and is active in several countries around the world. Although the chain is mainly found in countries where English is the main language, there are also a few stores in Europe, for example in Denmark.
Make a bear at your home
The Build-a-Bear Workshops introduced the concept of making your own teddy bear to the high street in the US. The idea quickly caught on, and soon there was a huge demand from people who wanted to make their own stuffed animal but didn’t live near a store. This led to other companies, such as Teddymountain in the US and BeMyBear in the UK, picking up the idea of bringing the concept of making your own teddy bear to people’s homes. They offered kits that could be put together online and then customers could assemble them at home.
What does Build a Bear stand for in Belgium?
During her vacation, Fran, the girl who started Maakeenbeer, came into contact with the concept of making a cuddly toy yourself. When people were forced to stay indoors during the corona period, Fran got the idea to bring this concept to Belgium. She thought that cuddly toys could offer comfort to people who felt lonely or sad. In addition, making a cuddly toy is a fun activity to do together. Soon others followed her example.
Today, Build a Bear is a popular concept in Belgium where you can order a package online via maakeenbeer.be to make a cuddly toy at home. The package contains a cuddly toy as standard, of which only the head and possibly the legs are already filled. You have to fill the body yourself. The package contains a bag of wool and a wish heart. With the wish heart you can put a special wish and lots of love in your teddy bear. In addition, each package contains a birth certificate, with which you can officially adopt your cuddly toy.
You can further personalize your package with accessories, such as a scent or sound module, and outfits to dress your cuddly toy exactly the way you want it. This way you get the full Build-A-Bear experience!