Stuffers and Fluffers

Stuffers and Fluffers:

Understanding the employees and patrons of Build-a-Bear

Scott Badger

Saint Leo University

MBA 530 – Organizational Behavior

September 15, 2013

Overview

As a child growing up, you will find many common toys? From the truck, train or doll. Even the Lego or football, in-fact Barbie or the Car are two more popular choices. Honestly, the sex of the child using that certain toy or the specific up-bringing of that child determines the popularity. When you take it to fundamentals, one of the most popular toys is the Bear. Brown, black, block or perhaps even spotted, the teddy-bear is one of the most owned toys for children. Since November of 1902 America has been fascinated with Bears. Of course, this all comes from the Harvard graduate and 26th president of the United States. According to sources, while on a hunting trip that October, a black bear was caught and strung to a tree for Theodor to shoot and claim as his own. He felt a strong matter of pride and declined to actually finish the killing of the bear that he did not catch. He did however, order that the bear be saved from suffering and killed later. Within a short period of time word got out about this and The Washington Post ran an editorial cartoon (The History of Bears, 2013) that depicted the President not wanting to deal with the bear.

By 1906 the “Teddy-Bear” was a wild sensation and children could be seen in pictures cuddling and posing with the bears. The earlier bears were made to resemble real life animals and were crafted to be “life-like”. From the ears and head-shape to the way the back slowed into the tail, they looked realistic. The bear was being crafted to resemble a specific moment in time. Modern day bears are more cartoonish and have larger ears and enormous eyes. According to statistics, in 2006 the retail sales of stuffed bears were 1.3 billion (The History of Bears, Impact, 2013).

Excitingly in 1997, a new type of bear idea emerged. Kind of a do-it yourself shop...