TOY lovers are up in arms after a popular chain with 40 branches announced it will be closing its doors.
The Build-A-Bear workshop will be shutting its beloved unit in Derbion Shopping Centre, in Derby.
Devastated shoppers cried there would be “no shops worth visiting” anymore.
Those wanting to get their hands on a fluffy companion will need to race to the store before it’s too late.
The Derby shop seems like a singular closure as no other Build-A-Bear shops have been affected.
No closure date has been announced yet, but the new vendor taking over the shopping centre premises should be announced soon.
Beth McDonald, managing director of Derbion, commented: “We are sorry to confirm that Build-A-Bear is set to close its store in-centre. This is a commercial decision made by the brand and we wish its staff well.
“Following a raft of new openings, store refits and brands upsizing their existing spaces in the first half of this year, we continue to work hard to bring new and exciting stores to Derbion.
“We’ll be announcing who will be moving into the former Build-A-Bear unit over the coming weeks, and we look forward to sharing further exciting centre news soon.”
The news were shared on Facebook, with one heartbroken shopper saying: “There’ll be no shops worth visiting in Derby. Questionable whether there is now!
“Such a shame, I used to love late night Christmas shopping in Derby when I was younger.”
Another added: “Sadly, like most things, it became expensive.”
A third cried: “Ahhh sad news indeed. We’ve enjoyed a couple of parties there when our girls were younger and even now our oldest craves a Hello Kitty bear or a Pokemon themed ‘bear’.
“There is something about the ‘real’ experience that will be missed in this, online choosing of a bear and their clothing won’t be the same.”
Build-A-Bear Workshop is a retail company that allows customers to create and personalise their own stuffed animals.
Founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark in St. Louis, Missouri, the concept focuses on providing a hands-on, interactive experience.
Customers select a bear or other stuffed animal “skin,” which is then stuffed, stitched, and personalised with clothing, accessories, and even recorded messages.
It comes after a high street fashion store set to shut its doors in days has launched a “closing down sale” with items massively reduced.
Diva, which sells low-cost womenswear, only opened on Watford High Street in February, but “closing down sale” signs appeared in the windows last month.
Now, new signs have been put up confirming the store will pull down the shutters on August 2, reports the Watford Observer.
The business never had a website but stood out on the high street for one unique reason.
It had a large white facade bearing its name and enticed shoppers by advertising “1,000s of items for £10 or less”.
