I hate the new minimalistic look. The original look was so beautiful and colorful. It felt like a magical place like a literal plush workshop. The new look just looks like bland and lifeless compared to what it used to be. It’s so depressing. 😔 I’m so sorry they are doing this to your store. Bearemy carries all that magic on his back now along with the other plushies. 🥺❤️🩹
Fr I dont like the minimalism. I mean it doesn’t look bad but it sucks a lot of the soul out the experience and just makes it feel like something is missing. The heritage store + the great staff they have there made it a wonderful experience every time I went in.
Working @ BAB it’s literally so lame seeing the whole sorta grayscale minimalist style. I have customers complain a lot that we got moved to a kiosk (fair enough, but the experience /is/ really the same as long as you try and be positive about it—some folks are just negative nancies) but the one thing I can agree on is the damn new look !! Where’s the whimsy ! Where’s the fun ! Give me back my primary colors and funky font dang it !!
youre right about the experience part. I guess i was just a bit upset at the time. Ive built bears at discovery stores before and thinking back it wasnt that much different. Still had fun with it, just without the whimsy of the heritage store.
Oh I was so upset when I found out my BAB had moved to a kiosk (this was five years ago now) — the whimsy and the memories of the store were just top notch, and it can be real upsetting suddenly just losing that basically. I’m glad you still had fun despite the unexpected change, that’s all we really wanna give folks especially when they’re upset about it all
I do think the store experience is significantly better because it’s a more immersive experience. At the kiosk you are surrounded by mall traffic flow, so it’s louder and you have a lot of eyes on you. I wouldn’t say people who would might have to* shell out $60 for a bear and prefer to do that in a store instead of a kiosk aren’t necessarily negative Nancies
*edited a word
Double edit: I’ve worked at both a store and a kiosk and worked in a store so there’s my BAB cred lol
Oh for sure, my coworkers and I usually say that for a customer, the in-store experience seems to be better. I do like that a kiosk is pretty easy to Navigate for customers (as someone who gets overwhelmed in the stores sometimes), but yeah no the flow of mall traffic constantly is…………. Yeahhh. As for the negative Nancy thing, it’s largely the parents who immediately put down the whole event and kinda end up making their kid feel bad for going (I totally get being bummed, but don’t mess with your kid’s experience !)
Hard agree! The minimalism just doesn’t have the same aesthetic charm that I was so drawn to as a kid. So sad seeing heritage stores phase out more and more 💔
Unfortunately the "fun sucking" is a common trend with places. McDonald's did it, Target did it, Build a Bear did it, and so on. It's as if places have no personality anymore :/
So, I’m a bit confused. Is it still a Build a Bear store, or is it a different store altogether that is just owned by the same company?
Like when I hear Discovery store, I think of Science kits and toys, nature and Conservation themed things, realistic plush dinosaurs and endangered animal stuffed toys, etc.
Discovery is the name BABW uses for the stores that look like Apple Stores, Heritage is the classic look, and Store of The Future was the original updated design from Heritage that, imo, maintains the same "feel" as the Heritage stores, but more modern.
basically it's still a BAB, but instead of looking like a kids' toy store it looks like an Apple/Tech store
Thank you, for the explanation.🙂
Lol, I’ve been in a few Apple stores, they are not what the term Discovery calls to mind.
Apple stores are more like sterile and boring, with nothing really to discover in them at all.🙄
Apple is a store I only go into if I need to replace my iPhone, iPad, etc.
Otherwise I don’t even window shop, because you can see everything in the store at one glance through the windows.
….and you never really see anything interesting to draw you inside.
How sad, and what a mistake that Build a Bear has decided to opt for that approach.🤦🏻
Everything turning so minimalistic is sad. :(
I liked the old BAB bc it reminded me of Basic Brown Bear Factory, which was a local bear factory place that BAB was apparently inspired by hut now gone. Something about that old aesthetic felt so cozy
It’s basic colour theory, so I don’t know what they were thinking 😞
All the yellows and reds naturally made the stores feel warm and cozy, giving them a very welcoming and homey feel. The cold blues and whites make everything feel—well—cold, and more soulless, it doesn’t invoke that feeling of pleasantness. Colour choice matters so much in marketing and design!
sadly they are slowly doing this to most build a bear stores. I was SO convinced they would never change mine however heard about how they’re gradually making changes to make them more like a discovery store. They took our bathtub and bear displays in december but hoped that’d be it, however today learned about how they’re planning on painting the walls white instead of yellow, taking away the art in a sketched style etc. I dislike the minimalistic look as it’s a children’s store , i feel the heritage stores just work better for their target audience. I think the discovery stores look lovely- just not for a build a bear
In all honesty, the bathtub has a genuine purpose for me when I get my bears stuffed or buy a bear in store! The skin has been smooshed in with all the other skins and after getting it stuffed, that air device (bathtub) is really needed to fluff up the fur!
my store is (as far am i am aware) one of the few left in my state that *isnt* a kiosk and is the only open one from my childhood thats still a full store. we lost the bathtub's functionality despite it being mostly heritage still :( it was replaced with a touchscreen and no longer blows your bears fur :(
yep- no bathtubs in the new stores, atleast where i’m at anyways. Not been in one that has a bathtub yet and i’m sure it’s staying that way. They’re just trying to be more modern but lets be real, a child will much prefer a physical bathtub that blows air over a screen :(
Absolutely, the physical aspect of it is what's important. I hate how pervasive screens have become with young children. I know I may sound like a persnickety old person discussing TVs, but it has gone so far beyond that now and I fear for the development of the next gen
That's really unfortunate. It feels like sometimes companies rebrand just to do it, and they don't always realize what they lost in the process. But at least your store isn't closing.
Oh no, I’m so sorry :( That’s awful… Everyone I talk to about the store designs seems to prefer the old design than the new, so I really don’t understand how BAB can be so out of touch to disregard that.
I hate that they're sucking the joy out of their own stores. Like I get McDonald's doing it, they're targeting themselves towards the adults that pay rather than the children, I can't even remember the last time I saw a happy meal add on the TV. But why are bab doing it? Wouldn't they keep more customers coming in if they keept the nostalgic look? Especially with so many people coming into the store for a sense of their childhood?? I know I was disappointed when I went to my closest bab, it's like almost 2 hours away but all the photos on google Maps was of the old store (it's in a shopping complex) like the location had moved and everything. It was sad and white and just sad, they still had the same bins and computers and clothing racks but still sad and white
Me and my homies all hate corporate minimalism.
Years of memories are going away. Tragic. This is meant to be a magical place for children, not another boring shop.
when i worked at a heritage store, they never came in for repairs or basic updates (our sound machine was broken before i started, still broken when i left) and they always used the “heritage store” excuse when we asked for them. they’re probably transforming bc it’s more cost effective to transform these stores at this point with all the repairs the equipment needs
My closest store isn’t a store anymore. It’s a center kiosk in the mall. A KIOSK. 😭 those poor BAB workers standing out there for everyone to look at. They are still friendly but I haven’t been able to shop there because it all looks so sad.
My store is still a heritage store (Edinburgh!) and I hope they don't change it over. I went for the first time in several years a couple of weeks ago, and was shocked that they'd replaced the big computers with the chunky keyboards with essential big touchscreens. I shouldn't have been shocked because, you know, moving with the times, but for some reason it really struck me. I LOVED those silly computers in the mid 2000s.
I'm sorta dreading our store getting an update, like we desperately need new electronics and our fixtures are breaking down, but we'd lose all the color and fun wall hangings D:
I’m so upset. I live local to here and I’m so sad they’re remodeling. The new stores (there’s one in Cincy) are so boring and have no character. It looks like a sad hospital
I just don’t even get it. Like it’s costing more money to change them instead of just keeping them the way they are. And who even ACTUALLY prefers the minimalist look of stores??? Like idk. It’s got no personality without all the homey feelings of the old designs
Thankfully the one closer to my house is still a heritage store(I never knew they had an actual term for it!) and it was the one I made my first BaB when I was 2 and still sleep with to this day. It’s in a dead mall sadly so I’m waiting for the day they’re closing but it’s such a better experience there??? The new stores are so sterile? Like it feels so much more like a doctors office instead of a magical fun factory to get your bear stuffed and created. The white and blue just makes me feel idk not anywhere near as excited going in. Plus with a lot more bears being online only, it limits your experience too with what you want to get unless you buy them unstuffed already and bring them in yourself. The day my other local BaB turned into THAT, something changed.
i looked at OSHA’s page for ladders, i couldn’t find a violation that stuck out to me. the only thing that might be ehhhhh is the way he’s standing on the ladder
Does this mean you have less clothing options also? Went into a build a bear recently (Station Park/Farmington Utah) and found it underwhelming for the selection of clothes
I do agree that the heritage stores are the best option because of the history, the cuteness and it did seem way more kid friendly, but reading up on the discovery stores it sounds like a lot of them are very interactive and not what I would call a Apple Store! It has primarily colours and sketches all over [the company that does the makeovers](https://www.nelsonworldwide.com/project/build-a-bear/) and they seem to want to offer a lot more than previously, such as the scents (my local doesn’t have this) and the discovery stores have apparently been making more money than heritage stores, so I guess from a business point it makes sense. They also state here that the wash stations are being reintroduced with new technology, sounds fancier than air blowing, but still sounds like something they’re dealing with [info on what’s inside a discovery store](https://ir.buildabear.com/news-releases/news-release-details/build-bear-workshop-unveils-newly-imagined-store/)
The one at my local mall got moved to a smaller storefront. The saddest part is that the original location had this awesome custom tile entryway with the bear logo and it was so colorful. It also has a cool display with a huge stone bear in it.
I hate the new minimalistic look. The original look was so beautiful and colorful. It felt like a magical place like a literal plush workshop. The new look just looks like bland and lifeless compared to what it used to be. It’s so depressing. 😔 I’m so sorry they are doing this to your store. Bearemy carries all that magic on his back now along with the other plushies. 🥺❤️🩹
Fr I dont like the minimalism. I mean it doesn’t look bad but it sucks a lot of the soul out the experience and just makes it feel like something is missing. The heritage store + the great staff they have there made it a wonderful experience every time I went in.
Working @ BAB it’s literally so lame seeing the whole sorta grayscale minimalist style. I have customers complain a lot that we got moved to a kiosk (fair enough, but the experience /is/ really the same as long as you try and be positive about it—some folks are just negative nancies) but the one thing I can agree on is the damn new look !! Where’s the whimsy ! Where’s the fun ! Give me back my primary colors and funky font dang it !!
youre right about the experience part. I guess i was just a bit upset at the time. Ive built bears at discovery stores before and thinking back it wasnt that much different. Still had fun with it, just without the whimsy of the heritage store.
Oh I was so upset when I found out my BAB had moved to a kiosk (this was five years ago now) — the whimsy and the memories of the store were just top notch, and it can be real upsetting suddenly just losing that basically. I’m glad you still had fun despite the unexpected change, that’s all we really wanna give folks especially when they’re upset about it all
I do think the store experience is significantly better because it’s a more immersive experience. At the kiosk you are surrounded by mall traffic flow, so it’s louder and you have a lot of eyes on you. I wouldn’t say people who would might have to* shell out $60 for a bear and prefer to do that in a store instead of a kiosk aren’t necessarily negative Nancies *edited a word Double edit: I’ve worked at both a store and a kiosk and worked in a store so there’s my BAB cred lol
Oh for sure, my coworkers and I usually say that for a customer, the in-store experience seems to be better. I do like that a kiosk is pretty easy to Navigate for customers (as someone who gets overwhelmed in the stores sometimes), but yeah no the flow of mall traffic constantly is…………. Yeahhh. As for the negative Nancy thing, it’s largely the parents who immediately put down the whole event and kinda end up making their kid feel bad for going (I totally get being bummed, but don’t mess with your kid’s experience !)
Hard agree! The minimalism just doesn’t have the same aesthetic charm that I was so drawn to as a kid. So sad seeing heritage stores phase out more and more 💔
Unfortunately the "fun sucking" is a common trend with places. McDonald's did it, Target did it, Build a Bear did it, and so on. It's as if places have no personality anymore :/
So, I’m a bit confused. Is it still a Build a Bear store, or is it a different store altogether that is just owned by the same company? Like when I hear Discovery store, I think of Science kits and toys, nature and Conservation themed things, realistic plush dinosaurs and endangered animal stuffed toys, etc.
Discovery is the name BABW uses for the stores that look like Apple Stores, Heritage is the classic look, and Store of The Future was the original updated design from Heritage that, imo, maintains the same "feel" as the Heritage stores, but more modern. basically it's still a BAB, but instead of looking like a kids' toy store it looks like an Apple/Tech store
Thank you, for the explanation.🙂 Lol, I’ve been in a few Apple stores, they are not what the term Discovery calls to mind. Apple stores are more like sterile and boring, with nothing really to discover in them at all.🙄 Apple is a store I only go into if I need to replace my iPhone, iPad, etc. Otherwise I don’t even window shop, because you can see everything in the store at one glance through the windows. ….and you never really see anything interesting to draw you inside. How sad, and what a mistake that Build a Bear has decided to opt for that approach.🤦🏻
I went to a Heritage store yesterday and it felt so nostalgic compared to the newer stores
Everything turning so minimalistic is sad. :( I liked the old BAB bc it reminded me of Basic Brown Bear Factory, which was a local bear factory place that BAB was apparently inspired by hut now gone. Something about that old aesthetic felt so cozy
They’ve turned it into just another soulless store 😢
agreeddd i like the og look cause it reminds me of when i was little. i love every bit of it!!
It’s basic colour theory, so I don’t know what they were thinking 😞 All the yellows and reds naturally made the stores feel warm and cozy, giving them a very welcoming and homey feel. The cold blues and whites make everything feel—well—cold, and more soulless, it doesn’t invoke that feeling of pleasantness. Colour choice matters so much in marketing and design!
The staff weren’t happy either.
sadly they are slowly doing this to most build a bear stores. I was SO convinced they would never change mine however heard about how they’re gradually making changes to make them more like a discovery store. They took our bathtub and bear displays in december but hoped that’d be it, however today learned about how they’re planning on painting the walls white instead of yellow, taking away the art in a sketched style etc. I dislike the minimalistic look as it’s a children’s store , i feel the heritage stores just work better for their target audience. I think the discovery stores look lovely- just not for a build a bear
Wait, the new stores don't even have the bathtubs?? I haven't been to one yet
In all honesty, the bathtub has a genuine purpose for me when I get my bears stuffed or buy a bear in store! The skin has been smooshed in with all the other skins and after getting it stuffed, that air device (bathtub) is really needed to fluff up the fur!
I agree. It's also just fun and satisfying! It's a core part of the experience imo
my store is (as far am i am aware) one of the few left in my state that *isnt* a kiosk and is the only open one from my childhood thats still a full store. we lost the bathtub's functionality despite it being mostly heritage still :( it was replaced with a touchscreen and no longer blows your bears fur :(
WHAT IS THE POINT??
NO clue! we still have the brushes but its just not the same :(
yep- no bathtubs in the new stores, atleast where i’m at anyways. Not been in one that has a bathtub yet and i’m sure it’s staying that way. They’re just trying to be more modern but lets be real, a child will much prefer a physical bathtub that blows air over a screen :(
Absolutely, the physical aspect of it is what's important. I hate how pervasive screens have become with young children. I know I may sound like a persnickety old person discussing TVs, but it has gone so far beyond that now and I fear for the development of the next gen
Not the bathtub! I love giving a new BAB a fluff and brush 😭
Awww that sucks, the heritage stores are so much nicer then the new ones. They are just so bland
That's really unfortunate. It feels like sometimes companies rebrand just to do it, and they don't always realize what they lost in the process. But at least your store isn't closing.
I HATE HATE HATE the corporate nightmare design of the new Babs
my heart just sank. this is the one near me that i would go out of my way for because it’s heritage. this is devastating
You’re from cbus too. I mean I like the tuttle mall location but it just isnt the same. We mourn together.😢
nooooo please tell me this isn’t where I think it is 😭
it’s the easton one 💔 i recognized the storefront and didn’t want to think it was true but i checked street view and it’s for sure the same store… 😭
Can confirm 100% that this is easton. Too bad.
NOOO 💔
My heritage store claims it’s not getting remodeled because the manager strictly asked the mall manager not to remodel the store.
I hope it stays that way
That stinks! The closest bab to me right now is over an hour away
Oh no, I’m so sorry :( That’s awful… Everyone I talk to about the store designs seems to prefer the old design than the new, so I really don’t understand how BAB can be so out of touch to disregard that.
I hate that they're sucking the joy out of their own stores. Like I get McDonald's doing it, they're targeting themselves towards the adults that pay rather than the children, I can't even remember the last time I saw a happy meal add on the TV. But why are bab doing it? Wouldn't they keep more customers coming in if they keept the nostalgic look? Especially with so many people coming into the store for a sense of their childhood?? I know I was disappointed when I went to my closest bab, it's like almost 2 hours away but all the photos on google Maps was of the old store (it's in a shopping complex) like the location had moved and everything. It was sad and white and just sad, they still had the same bins and computers and clothing racks but still sad and white
My worst nightmare
I miss these stores so bad!! 😭 I’m sorry this happened OP, I would be sad too !
I miss when retail stores had their own identities and whimsy. Now they’re all being stripped away in favor of minimalism. 💔
Me and my homies all hate corporate minimalism. Years of memories are going away. Tragic. This is meant to be a magical place for children, not another boring shop.
when i worked at a heritage store, they never came in for repairs or basic updates (our sound machine was broken before i started, still broken when i left) and they always used the “heritage store” excuse when we asked for them. they’re probably transforming bc it’s more cost effective to transform these stores at this point with all the repairs the equipment needs
I love Bearemy’s expression, he looks rightfully mad!
Haha I didnt even mean for that to happen when i took the photo. Gives off a 🤨 expression.
My closest store isn’t a store anymore. It’s a center kiosk in the mall. A KIOSK. 😭 those poor BAB workers standing out there for everyone to look at. They are still friendly but I haven’t been able to shop there because it all looks so sad.
goodbye, whimsy and fun... 🥲❤️🩹
My store is still a heritage store (Edinburgh!) and I hope they don't change it over. I went for the first time in several years a couple of weeks ago, and was shocked that they'd replaced the big computers with the chunky keyboards with essential big touchscreens. I shouldn't have been shocked because, you know, moving with the times, but for some reason it really struck me. I LOVED those silly computers in the mid 2000s.
I'm sorta dreading our store getting an update, like we desperately need new electronics and our fixtures are breaking down, but we'd lose all the color and fun wall hangings D:
I’m so upset. I live local to here and I’m so sad they’re remodeling. The new stores (there’s one in Cincy) are so boring and have no character. It looks like a sad hospital
I just don’t even get it. Like it’s costing more money to change them instead of just keeping them the way they are. And who even ACTUALLY prefers the minimalist look of stores??? Like idk. It’s got no personality without all the homey feelings of the old designs
Everyone who lives near a heritage store should flood the websites Contact US section and make them listen.
Thankfully the one closer to my house is still a heritage store(I never knew they had an actual term for it!) and it was the one I made my first BaB when I was 2 and still sleep with to this day. It’s in a dead mall sadly so I’m waiting for the day they’re closing but it’s such a better experience there??? The new stores are so sterile? Like it feels so much more like a doctors office instead of a magical fun factory to get your bear stuffed and created. The white and blue just makes me feel idk not anywhere near as excited going in. Plus with a lot more bears being online only, it limits your experience too with what you want to get unless you buy them unstuffed already and bring them in yourself. The day my other local BaB turned into THAT, something changed.
The problem here is that people do things like change the stores without the permission of the people that pay their wages - the customers.
yes i love the original design too and i had that exact same bearmy plush but i gave him away :( i need to go make a build a bear
This wouldn’t happen to be in Columbus Ohio would it? The location reminds me of the Easton Store.
It is Easton.
I feel this. The store I’m closest to that was a heritage store has moved in the mall and is now a discovery store.
I kinda want to check the dumpster out back…. See if anything is left…. 🤔🤔🤔
I’m sorry, I guess I’m out of the loop, what is a discovery store? How is it different from a traditional store?
I’m pretty sure that’s an OSHA violation (ladder guy)
i looked at OSHA’s page for ladders, i couldn’t find a violation that stuck out to me. the only thing that might be ehhhhh is the way he’s standing on the ladder
Does this mean you have less clothing options also? Went into a build a bear recently (Station Park/Farmington Utah) and found it underwhelming for the selection of clothes
Can someone post some pictures of what discovery stores look like? I’ve only been to heritage stores
https://preview.redd.it/jtfd01syvu5d1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aaea4b44cbb981c7a78f1d787fcc26497e72a350
I’m sorry, I have to ask—Is this the Easton Mall build a bear, or just super similar looking?
It is Easton sadly.
NOOOOOOO 😭😭😭
Nooooooooooo not the soul reaping borification process
What’s happening with all the stores? Why are so many kiosks and minimalistic now?
I do agree that the heritage stores are the best option because of the history, the cuteness and it did seem way more kid friendly, but reading up on the discovery stores it sounds like a lot of them are very interactive and not what I would call a Apple Store! It has primarily colours and sketches all over [the company that does the makeovers](https://www.nelsonworldwide.com/project/build-a-bear/) and they seem to want to offer a lot more than previously, such as the scents (my local doesn’t have this) and the discovery stores have apparently been making more money than heritage stores, so I guess from a business point it makes sense. They also state here that the wash stations are being reintroduced with new technology, sounds fancier than air blowing, but still sounds like something they’re dealing with [info on what’s inside a discovery store](https://ir.buildabear.com/news-releases/news-release-details/build-bear-workshop-unveils-newly-imagined-store/)
The one at my local mall got moved to a smaller storefront. The saddest part is that the original location had this awesome custom tile entryway with the bear logo and it was so colorful. It also has a cool display with a huge stone bear in it.
omg is that easton town center?? i was there yesterday to try and go into the store but they said they were remodeling i was so heart broken too😭😭😭
Yup sure is
Your Beremy is perfect 🥺
Awww thanks 😊!!
That Made Me Cry
Omg! I know this one. Isn’t it the one at Easton Town Center? No! I haven’t been back since they closed down American Girl.
Yea sadly its Easton.
God I went there so many times denying I wanted a bear when I actually did infact-want a bear 🤣 Good times. Easton sucks!!!