America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 › Build-A-Bear Workshop
#8 of 100 – Pets & Kids

Build-A-Bear Workshop

Make-your-own stuffed animal brand that sells mainly through its own experiential stores and website, with net retail sales about 92% of FY2025 revenue.

By Abhimanyu Ghosh, Chairman, WCRC, with the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit · November 2026

Consumer Trust 84/100
Build-A-Bear Workshop ranked #8 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026 by WCRC
Trust Score83.90out of 100
US D2C rank#8 of 100
HeadquartersSt. Louis, MO
Founded1997
Latest revenue$529.8M total revenues (FY2025, ended Jan 2026)
Trust pillar84/100

The Build-A-Bear Workshop story

Build-A-Bear Workshop was founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark and is owned today by Public (NYSE: BBW), Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc.. It is one of 5 Pets & Kids brands in this year's ranking, where it places #2.

Why people trust Build-A-Bear Workshop

Families can watch and take part in making each toy, and the brand has run the same in-store experience for nearly three decades.

The watch-out

It depends heavily on mall foot traffic and licensed characters that can fall out of fashion.

Why Build-A-Bear Workshop ranks #8

Strongest of the four trust-led pillars

Brand Love, scored 88 out of 100.

Room to grow

Consumer Trust & Sentiment, scored 84 out of 100.

The WCRC D2C Trust Score gives 80% of the weight to Consumer Trust, Brand Recall, Positioning and Brand Love. Build-A-Bear Workshop scores 83.90 overall.

Pillar profile

Consumer Trust & Sentiment (32%)
84
Brand Recall (18%)
84
Brand Positioning (15%)
86
Brand Love (15%)
88
Product, Innovation & Delivery (10%)
82
Digital & Financial Soundness (6%)
76
Governance & ESG (4%)
76

Versus its nearest rivals

6GEICOInsurance · 85.467NetflixTech · 85.208Build-A-Bear WorkshopPets · 83.909EtsyMarketplaces · 82.8110RhodeBeauty · 82.70

Questions people ask

What rank is Build-A-Bear Workshop in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026?

Build-A-Bear Workshop ranks #8 of 100 in WCRC's America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026, with a WCRC D2C Trust Score of 83.90 out of 100.

Why is Build-A-Bear Workshop trusted?

Families can watch and take part in making each toy, and the brand has run the same in-store experience for nearly three decades.

What is Build-A-Bear Workshop's revenue?

$529.8M total revenues (FY2025, ended Jan 2026), as per the company's filed accounts or published results.

Who owns Build-A-Bear Workshop?

Build-A-Bear Workshop is owned by Public (NYSE: BBW), Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc.. It was founded in 1997 and is based in St. Louis, MO.

What is Build-A-Bear Workshop's biggest challenge?

It depends heavily on mall foot traffic and licensed characters that can fall out of fashion.

Key facts

BrandBuild-A-Bear Workshop
Company / ownerPublic (NYSE: BBW), Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc.
HeadquartersSt. Louis, MO
Founded1997
Founder(s)Maxine Clark
Latest revenue$529.8M total revenues (FY2025, ended Jan 2026), as per company filings
SectorPets & Kids
Country of originUnited States

Sources

  • Annual report (Form 10-K) and financial results filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Company website, official announcements and press releases
  • Published interviews and statements by the founders and leadership
  • WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer ratings and reviews, complaint records, search demand and social data
Want the full picture? For the detailed methodology, a brand's full assessment report, or the other factors behind a score, contact the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at consulting@wcrcint.com.
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Disclaimer
  1. Who was considered. Only brands whose owners publish financial results, or that have publicly stated their own revenue, were considered. Brands that do not publish revenue have not been assessed or ranked. Not being on this list says nothing about a brand's quality.
  2. Eligibility. Ranked brands were founded in the United States, are US-controlled today, were born selling direct to consumers and still sell mainly direct. The rules are applied as of November 2026.
  3. Independent opinion. This ranking is WCRC's independent research and opinion, based on publicly available information as of November 2026. It is not an endorsement of any brand. No brand paid to be included, and inclusion cannot be bought.
  4. Not advice. Nothing on this site is investment, financial, insurance, medical, legal or purchasing advice. Do not rely on it to make decisions of that kind.
  5. Scores. WCRC D2C Trust Scores are provisional assessments by the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit at the time of research. They are opinions, not measurements, and may be revised.
  6. Revenue and facts. Revenue is shown as filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission or published in company results, or, where marked, as stated by the company itself. Some figures are for a parent segment or a run rate, as noted. WCRC has not audited any figure. Facts are checked twice against public sources, but errors are possible.
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