I like to visit the Trafford centre in Manchester, England for my special occasion shopping, and a few months ago, I took my 8 year old niece with me. Almost in the centre of the precinct is a Build-a-Bear workshop - a store that sells teddies, with accessories that you are able to purchase to go along with the bears.
Like most kids her age, my niece loves teddies and as we neared the store, she got quite exitable about going in, so by the power of pester, I was literally forced to pay the store a visit.
As you walk into the store, you quite literally walk into a different world. The store is set up to deliberately encourage you to move clockwise around the store, picking up more things to buy along the way.
On the left as you enter the store, you will find a few ready made bears, although mostly you will notice the various bucket like holders filled with empty carcasses of teddy bear skins. I think if I'd visited the place when I was my niece's age, I'd have been scarred for life!
Anyway, this is where the fun begins. You choose from one of these bear skins. Each is roughly £10 to £15 for a 12 inch tall toy. You take the skin to the next stage of the workshop, which consists of an overly happy member of staff who encouages you to act rather stupid before you help stuff the teddy. I witnessed the 40something year old woman in front of me acting like an 8 year old, making a wish and dancing around before placing a heart inside the bear, feeling glad that the toy was for my niece and not me!
When it was my niece's turn, the store assistant gave her a little heart, told her to rub it to make it warm, make a wish then pop it inside the teddy. My niece loved this part, and she even helped press on the pedal that powered the stuffing machine.
Once the whole stuffing process was over, we were directed towards the rear of the store. There we found accessories such as hats, sunglasses and even rollerskates for the bears. Continuing in the clockwise motion, there were bathtime accessories, bedtime accessories and all sorts of outfits for the bears including daytime and career based outfits.
Just before you reach the checkout, there are some touch screen computers where you register the bears 'birth' and sign up to the build a bear club.
By the time we got to the checkouts, I was tired. I'd been begged into allowing the purchase of over £50 worth of bear stuff, and then we had to spend a while at the checkout whilst the cashier made up the bear's house. This was a cute and sturdy carry box almost like you would get at an expensive pet store to take home a rabbit.
All in all, this is a great experience for kids and the store is certainly well laid out. Everyone moves in the same direction around it so even when the store is busy, other people dont really get in the way. The staff are friendly and happy to help and I wasnt that upset about parting with so much cash because my niece had had such good fun. I recommend this store if you are going to visit the Trafford centre.
Like most kids her age, my niece loves teddies and as we neared the store, she got quite exitable about going in, so by the power of pester, I was literally forced to pay the store a visit.
As you walk into the store, you quite literally walk into a different world. The store is set up to deliberately encourage you to move clockwise around the store, picking up more things to buy along the way.
On the left as you enter the store, you will find a few ready made bears, although mostly you will notice the various bucket like holders filled with empty carcasses of teddy bear skins. I think if I'd visited the place when I was my niece's age, I'd have been scarred for life!
Anyway, this is where the fun begins. You choose from one of these bear skins. Each is roughly £10 to £15 for a 12 inch tall toy. You take the skin to the next stage of the workshop, which consists of an overly happy member of staff who encouages you to act rather stupid before you help stuff the teddy. I witnessed the 40something year old woman in front of me acting like an 8 year old, making a wish and dancing around before placing a heart inside the bear, feeling glad that the toy was for my niece and not me!
When it was my niece's turn, the store assistant gave her a little heart, told her to rub it to make it warm, make a wish then pop it inside the teddy. My niece loved this part, and she even helped press on the pedal that powered the stuffing machine.
Once the whole stuffing process was over, we were directed towards the rear of the store. There we found accessories such as hats, sunglasses and even rollerskates for the bears. Continuing in the clockwise motion, there were bathtime accessories, bedtime accessories and all sorts of outfits for the bears including daytime and career based outfits.
Just before you reach the checkout, there are some touch screen computers where you register the bears 'birth' and sign up to the build a bear club.
By the time we got to the checkouts, I was tired. I'd been begged into allowing the purchase of over £50 worth of bear stuff, and then we had to spend a while at the checkout whilst the cashier made up the bear's house. This was a cute and sturdy carry box almost like you would get at an expensive pet store to take home a rabbit.
All in all, this is a great experience for kids and the store is certainly well laid out. Everyone moves in the same direction around it so even when the store is busy, other people dont really get in the way. The staff are friendly and happy to help and I wasnt that upset about parting with so much cash because my niece had had such good fun. I recommend this store if you are going to visit the Trafford centre.
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