Build-a-Bear Promotion
 

A quick google search shows how well my son's child care's field trip most likely went today....

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...ale/778835002/

His center took all of the 1st-6th graders enrolled in their summer camp to this event today. Something tells me they probably didn't get bears.....

Well that sucks!!! At the same time the twitter rants are a bit much. Kids need to learn about disappointment and how to manage it. One guy said his wife drove a hundred miles....for a bear?!

I hope your son wasn’t too upset :(

ITA about the Twitter rants being a bit much - what did people expect??

I think BoB was nuts for running the promotion in the first place.

Oh I'm sure my son will be fine. I'm not even sure he expected to come home with a build-a-bear.

Honestly I had NO IDEA that their field trip was based around a promotional event like this until after I dropped him off this morning and saw a friend on FB ranting about it.

I don't know what I thought, but I certainly didn't expect him to be coming home with a bear. Hopefully they were still able to do something fun. Sounds like a NIGHTMARE to me.

It reminds me of 7-11s free slurpees (?) On 7/11 from 11-7.

Go into a store at 9:30 and they have a ton of cups. Go back at 11:30 and they miraculously didn't get their cup delivery.

I'm not much for crowds so I advoid these types if promotions.

I somehow missed the announcement they were even having that sale... my daughter probably would have thrown a fit if she was turned away, so I don't know if my missing it is a good thing (spared me a tantrum) or a bad thing (missed a learning opportunity).
I'll just pretend it never happened :D

Originally Posted by sharlan:
It reminds me of 7-11s free slurpees (?) On 7/11 from 11-7.

Go into a store at 9:30 and they have a ton of cups. Go back at 11:30 and they miraculously didn't get their cup delivery.

I'm not much for crowds so I advoid these types if promotions.

Yeah, a few of my friends in MD & VA were talking about the promo yesterday... some people don't understand that 7-11 is NOT nationwide and they asked me what I did to get my fix? Nothing, i hate convenience stores with a passion now lol

We were going to take the daycare kiddos, but ended up deciding not to. Looks like it was the right choice :P

We didn't end up telling any of the kids, so none of them were disappointed or anything. I think this was definitely a learning moment on how to deal with disappointment... unfortunately it looks like many adults are the ones throwing the fits..:rolleyes:

What did BoB expect???:rolleyes:

Wow, they highly underestimated their customers need of a cheap teddy bear! I doubt they will be having that promotion again!:lol:

It stinks that it didn't work out, but some of the moms on twitter... (slaps forehead :rolleyes:) Oh, the drama that little snookums didnt get what she wanted! I wonder who threw the biggest tantrums over this tragedy, the kids or the parents? All over a dang bear. I'm feeling a bit less than compassionate for this champagne problem. :cool:

Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
Wow, they highly underestimated their customers need of a cheap teddy bear! I doubt they will be having that promotion again!:lol:

It stinks that it didn't work out, but some of the moms on twitter... (slaps forehead :rolleyes:) Oh, the drama that little snookums didnt get what she wanted! I wonder who threw the biggest tantrums over this tragedy, the kids or the parents? All over a dang bear. I'm feeling a bit less than compassionate for this champagne problem. :cool:

Hands down I would bet the parents. :lol::rolleyes:

Originally Posted by DaveA:
Hands down I would bet the parents. :lol::rolleyes:

Of course, and that's why we have to deal with all the impatient over-the-top frustrated expectant kids of today who throw tantrums every time they don't get their way. They've been taught well.:rolleyes:

Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
Wow, they highly underestimated their customers need of a cheap teddy bear! I doubt they will be having that promotion again!:lol:

It stinks that it didn't work out, but some of the moms on twitter... (slaps forehead :rolleyes:) Oh, the drama that little snookums didnt get what she wanted! I wonder who threw the biggest tantrums over this tragedy, the kids or the parents? All over a dang bear. I'm feeling a bit less than compassionate for this champagne problem. :cool:

100% the parents!! I bet the kids shrugged and said “oh well” :lol:

Originally Posted by Ariana:
100% the parents!! I bet the kids shrugged and said “oh well” :lol:

For sure!

I will say, even though it sounds nuts, still good marketing. I have NEVER stepped foot in a build-a-bear or even considered it, but I signed up for their mailing list and downloaded 2 $15 off coupons and am considering taking my boys. It seems like it could be a fun experience!

Originally Posted by happymom:
For sure!

I will say, even though it sounds nuts, still good marketing. I have NEVER stepped foot in a build-a-bear or even considered it, but I signed up for their mailing list and downloaded 2 $15 off coupons and am considering taking my boys. It seems like it could be a fun experience!

To me this kind of promotion makes WAY more sense. They should have given the “pay your age” coupons to email subscribers. Similar to kids eating free on their birthdays. Gets people to sign up and they can prepare.

We went to a BAB in Disneyland CA and there were only my two kids, my niece and two other kids in front of us and it took us well over an hour to get our 3 bears made. It must have been pandemomium yesterday!! My daughter had a BAB made here to support Autism and then in
Disney it was her birthday so it was part of her party (we had a birthday party at Goofy’s Kitchen!)

Years ago, I took my sons to build-a-bear.....decided after that we could have went on a mini-vacation.:lol: entirely too expensive!!!!!

Originally Posted by Annalee:
Years ago, I took my sons to build-a-bear.....decided after that we could have went on a mini-vacation.:lol: entirely too expensive!!!!!

It seems entirely too expensive. If you're JUST doing a bear, it sounds like it can be reasonable. But once you start adding outfits and hats and stuff, it looks nuts.

Originally Posted by happymom:
It seems entirely too expensive. If you're JUST doing a bear, it sounds like it can be reasonable. But once you start adding outfits and hats and stuff, it looks nuts.

My boys didn't play with them much either.....totally wished I hadn't spent so much money on them. Ended up giving them to their younger cousins. :rolleyes:

I did it with my nieces and nephew and it takes awhile to get it done, plus you are giving young kids multiple choices of bears, outfits, accessories, so it can be time consuming. When I saw the lines on the news, I thought who in their right mind would get in that line with young kids and wait hours for a bear!? We would have been hitting the pretzel stand and getting the heck out of there! BaB definitely underestimated the turnout, but I'm just surprised how many parents were committed to getting that bear!:eek:

Originally Posted by mommyneedsadayoff:
I'm just surprised how many parents were committed to getting that bear!:eek:

Seriously. My good friend (who is very sane most days) waited 7 hours with her 14 month old to get a bear. Paid $1 for the bear and $9 for the bear's shirt! NINE DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see...
7 hours + $9 + $1 = an experience + a stuffed animal you will want to send to a donation center in a year or so

:ouch:

Originally Posted by happymom:
Seriously. My good friend (who is very sane most days) waited 7 hours with her 14 month old to get a bear. Paid $1 for the bear and $9 for the bear's shirt! NINE DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's see...
7 hours + $9 + $1 = an experience + a stuffed animal you will want to send to a donation center in a year or so

:ouch:

Wow..and they could go to Goodwill and buy a similar bear for $1. 7hrs for a stuffed animal? Nope!

Ewww! Stuffed animals are just gross.

Originally Posted by MomBoss:
Wow..and they could go to Goodwill and buy a similar bear for $1. 7hrs for a stuffed animal? Nope!

lol, I was thinking for a toddler just snag a cheap bear, undo some stitching, remove fluff and have the kiddo restuff.

A former dcf had a yard sale couple summers ago and came by my house after to see if there was anything I could use because they were taking it all to Salvation Army. Their ds and dd had been to Build-a-bear years before, got a really cute camo bear with jeans and a peace sign bear, which I now own. :) Brand new condition, dcks love them.

My children have had parties at BaB. It was fun and cute. We limited what the guests could purchase. ($12 animal and one shirt.) For the money it was worth it. The kids had fun, they gave the birthday girl some free stuff, the kids went home with a fun remembrance,, the staff played games w the kids. It was better than those yucky ball pits 😫.

"my wife is having to drive 100 miles after work to get to a store to take up the offer"
:rolleyes:

That gas could have just bought one.

Definitely the parents are the ones going crazy over it.

I noticed one thing though. It said parents had to sign up online first. Didn't that tell them it was going to be nuts? They should have just disabled the signups after so many.

Originally Posted by Ariana:
To me this kind of promotion makes WAY more sense. They should have given the “pay your age” coupons to email subscribers. Similar to kids eating free on their birthdays. Gets people to sign up and they can prepare.

We went to a BAB in Disneyland CA and there were only my two kids, my niece and two other kids in front of us and it took us well over an hour to get our 3 bears made. It must have been pandemomium yesterday!! My daughter had a BAB made here to support Autism and then in
Disney it was her birthday so it was part of her party (we had a birthday party at Goofy’s Kitchen!)

When my son went to college orientation, one of the team building things was build a bear. They brought the materials out and staff and he told me it took forever. So, he wasn't too into it. He did it. At the end, the BAB team said they weren't allowed to keep them. They were donating them to a children's hospital. Some of the girls (18 and up) were acting like like they lost money or something. A few even purposely broke the bears they made.

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
When my son went to college orientation, one of the team building things was build a bear. They brought the materials out and staff and he told me it took forever. So, he wasn't too into it. He did it. At the end, the BAB team said they weren't allowed to keep them. They were donating them to a children's hospital. Some of the girls (18 and up) were acting like like they lost money or something. A few even purposely broke the bears they made.

That's a cool idea, except for the few spoiled selfish 18 yos who broke their bears. That's enough to make a mama proud. :rolleyes: