Build-A-Bear Halts 'Pay Your Age' Promotion Due To Crowds

TUKWILA, WA - UPDATE: The Build-A-Bear pay-your-age promotion was too successful. The chain had to cancel it due to crowds at stores around the country.

“Everyone is welcome to take part in the Pay Your Age Day deal, regardless of age, as long as they are present in store that day,” the company said in a release before the cancellation “Our entire in-store collection of furry friends, including popular licensed characters, will be waiting to be made at the event.”

There was a catch to the promotion. To participate, adults, parents and guardians — who must be at least 18 — must enroll in the complimentary Build-A-Bear Bonus Club rewards program or give the company an email address and name so that the buyer — who must accompany the child when the purchase is made — can pay their age.

“We have overwhelming data that indicates Build-A-Bear is synonymous with childhood, and nearly one-third of our sales are associated with birthdays,” said Sharon Price John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “We ‘heart’ birthdays at Build-A-Bear, so we’re hosting the Pay Your Age Day to launch our year-round ‘Count Your Candles’ offer for guests celebrating a birthday with us in stores — an experience we designed especially to commemorate birthdays in a memorable way.”

Here are the addresses and hours of the stores in Puget Sound:

• Southcenter Mall, 1391 Southcenter Mall, Tukwila
• Tacoma Mall, 4502 S Steele St #410a, Tacoma
• Alderwood Mall, 3000 184th St SW #414, Lynnwood

Image via Shutterstock