IndiaRetailBiz

Shoppers’ Stop, the country’s second biggest listed retailer, owned by K Raheja Group, has entered into a three year non-exclusive agreement with Murjanis to bring ‘Buid-a- Bear Workshop‘ one of the fastest growing US interactive kids brands in India. Initially, Build-a-Bear will be offered through shop in shop format, which depending on customer response could later move into stand alone format.

Founded by Maxine Clark in 1997, the St. Louis (US) based, $375 million (ttm sales), Build-a-Bear Workshop operates as a specialty retailer of plush animals and related products. It offers a selection of merchandise, including approximately 30 styles of animals to be stuffed, as well as various clothing, shoes, and accessories for the stuffed animals. The company, as of March, 2006, was operating 200 stores in 43 states of the US and Canada, as well as an Internet store. Build-a-Bear Workshop also had 30 franchised stores worldwide.

Despite tough competition across the globe, Buid-a-Bear Workshop stuffed-animal chain, continues to clock high growth year after year. Having clawed out double-digit growth, in 2005, it is expecting another 20% leap in 2006 with the Net income growing even faster at 36%. One reason for the good fortunes come from CEO Maxine Clark’s voracious appetite for expansion.