![]() ![]() The Build-A-Bear store staff didn’t tell customers about how long they might be waiting, or what was happening. In Minnesota, despite what had already happened in the UK, the events came as a complete surprise to all concerned. The Build-A-Bear store in Belfast, where police were called to deal with crowds who turned up for the promotion before the store had to be closed. The next day’s headlines contained the words no executive wants to see describing their business: “chaos”, “carnage”, “fiasco”. ![]() Even some of those who did left wildly disappointed: one parent told the BBC that she and her children queued for three and a half hours to get into the Derby branch, then spent another two hours waiting to get their bears stuffed: “When I look back I will probably think, ‘What have I done that for?’ – especially with what I will end up paying for parking,” she said. Scores of shops had to close early thousands of people left without getting in. Police had to be called to help control the crowds outside the Leeds branch. Its shops were overwhelmed with huge queues wanting to take advantage. What Build-A-Bear hadn’t factored in was the devotion of its young customers, and the unending human appetite for getting something cheap. The company had announced a pay-your-age promotion, so customers in the UK, US and Canada could come in to make their own teddies and pay just a fraction of the normal cost: instead of £52 for a top-of-the-range bear, a six-year-old would pay just £6. T hursday 12 July should have been a red-letter day for thousands upon thousands of kids, and for their favourite shop, Build-A-Bear Workshop. ![]()
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