This year’s Holiday season is shaping up to be better than 2013. At least that’s what the people at Buld-a-Bear are forecasting.
The company that it is famous for its customizable stuffed animals is preparing lots of new additions to the product lines. A noticable new offer will be the line of stuffed animals based on Disney’s Frozen.
You will be able to make your own Olaf and Elsa. Of course Anna too. Along with the toys the company will launch a selection of costumes and accesories to personalize the stuffies. There will also be sound chips with songs from the film that can be put inside the toys to make them sing. That is, if you want that.
Hello Kitty is also on the list. The famous character celebrates 40 years so this one should be special. And it will be.
There will also be a special line of Rudolph. Other limited edition stuffies will also be available through the shops and online store of Build-a-Bear. The company will even open seasonal pop-up shops across the USA to gain more exposure and focus on markets where growth is expected.
The company forecasts the the toy industry as a whole will continue to grow in the long term.
Launches based on movie franchises have been a key growth driver for the company in the past, SeekingAlpha reports. They have materially boosted the top line in the short run.
Toothless, the dragon from How to Train Your Dragon movie franchise, was completely sold out during the initial shipment in the second quarter prior to the movie release.
In July this year, the introduction of Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles resulted in inventory shortage as shoppers bought as many as four toys at once. The good news are the Turtles are now back in the stores of Build-a-Bear just in time for the holiday shopping.
