Build-A-Bear Workshop Reports Record-Breaking Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2024 Results; Increases Quarterly Dividend
BBW
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) today announced results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 ended February 1, 2025. The 13-week fourth quarter and 52-week year ended February 1, 2025, are compared to the 14-week fourth quarter and 53-week year ended February 3, 2024.
“Our continued record performance highlights the strength and growing appeal of the Build-A-Bear brand, as well as the progress we are making in evolving our business model,” commented Sharon Price John, President and Chief Executive Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “The company continues prioritizing its long-term strategic initiatives, particularly broadening its global retail footprint. This year, Build-A-Bear launched 64 net new retail units, the majority of which were asset-light partner-operated locations, increasing its international presence to more than 25 countries,” concluded Ms. John.
Voin Todorovic, Chief Financial Officer of Build-A-Bear Workshop, added, “I'm pleased to share that Build-A-Bear marked its 4th consecutive year of record results in 2024, exceeding our most recent guidance. This consistent performance coupled with strong profitability has allowed us to continue to return significant capital to shareholders over the past few years, including the repurchase of more than 1,000,000 shares of common stock in 2024 alone, followed by a dividend increase announced yesterday."
Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2024 Results2 (13 weeks ended February 1, 2025, compared to the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024)
The additional week in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2023 generated approximately $7 million in total revenues with an estimated 35% flow-through to EBITDA.
Fiscal Year 2024 Results2 (52 weeks ended February 1, 2025, compared to the 53 weeks ended February 3, 2024)
The additional week in fiscal 2023 generated approximately $7 million in total revenues with an estimated 35% flow-through to EBITDA.
Store Activity
For the quarter, the Company had net new unit growth of 24 global experience locations, comprised of 6 corporately-managed locations, 15 partner-operated locations, and 3 franchise locations. For the fiscal year, the Company had net new unit growth of 64 global experience locations, comprised of 9 corporately-managed locations, 46 partner-operated locations, and 9 franchise locations. At the end of the fiscal year, Build-A-Bear had 589 global locations through a combination of its corporately-managed, partner-operated, and franchise models. This reflects 368 corporately-managed locations, 138 partner-operated locations, and 83 franchise locations.
Balance Sheet
At fiscal year-end, cash and cash equivalents totaled $27.8 million, a decrease of $16.6 million compared to $44.3 million at the end of last year. The cash balance was impacted by higher inventory investment to mitigate potential tariff impact, and an increase in accounts receivable balance due to growth in our Commercial segment. For fiscal 2024, the Company returned $42.0 million to shareholders through share repurchases and quarterly dividends. The Company finished the year with no borrowings under its revolving credit facility.
Capital expenditures totaled $9.7 million and $19.3 million for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024, respectively.
Inventory at year-end was $69.8 million, reflecting an increase of $6.3 million, or 9.9%, much of which is an accelerated purchase of 2025 core products, compared to $63.5 million at the end of last year. The Company remains comfortable with the level and composition of its inventory.
Return of Capital to Shareholders
For the fourth quarter, the Company utilized $8.0 million in cash to repurchase 188,060 common stock shares and paid shareholders a $2.7 million quarterly cash dividend. For fiscal 2024, the Company utilized $31.0 million in cash to repurchase 1,021,004 shares of its common stock and paid $11.0 million in quarterly cash dividends to shareholders.
Since the fiscal year-end through March 12, the Company used approximately $3.9 million in cash to repurchase an additional 100,213 shares of its common stock, with $85.3 million remaining under the board-authorized $100.0 million stock repurchase program adopted on September 11, 2024.
As announced on March 12, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share, reflecting a 10% increase.
2025 Outlook
The Company issues the following fiscal 2025 outlook:
In addition, for fiscal 2025, the Company currently expects:
The Company’s guidance considers various factors, including the current tariffs, medical and labor costs, increased freight costs, and ongoing inflationary pressures. Additionally, the Company’s outlook does not contemplate any further material changes in tariffs, the macroeconomic or geopolitical environment or relevant foreign currency exchange rates.
Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this press release, the Company’s financial results are provided both in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and using certain non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, the Company provides historic income adjusted to exclude certain costs, which are non-GAAP financial measures. These results are included as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP because management believes these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in the Company’s business and provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core operating results. These measures should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results. These non-GAAP financial measures are defined and reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measure later in this document.
Webcast and Conference Call Information
Today, at 9:00 AM ET, Build-A-Bear Workshop will host a conference call with investors and financial analysts to discuss its financial results. The call will be webcast on Build-Bear’s Investor Relations website, https://ir.buildabear.com.
The dial-in number for the live conference call is (877) 407-3982 or (201) 493-6780 for international callers. The access code is Build-A-Bear. The call is expected to conclude by 10 AM ET.
A replay of the conference call webcast will be available on the investor relations website for one year. A telephone replay will be available beginning at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 13, 2025, until 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The telephone replay is available by calling (412) 317-6671 (toll/international) or (844) 512-2921 (toll-free). The access code is 13751370.
About Build-A-Bear
Since its beginning in 1997, Build-A-Bear has evolved to become a beloved multi-generational brand focused on its mission to “add a little more heart to life,” where guests of all ages make their own “furry friends” in celebration and commemoration of life moments. Guests create their own stuffed animals by participating in the stuffing, dressing, accessorizing, and naming of their own teddy bears and other plush toys based on the Company’s own intellectual property and in conjunction with a variety of best-in-class licenses. The hands-on and interactive nature of our more than 575 company-owned, partner-operated and franchise experience locations around the world, combined with Build-A-Bear’s pop-culture appeal, often fosters a lasting and emotional brand connection with consumers and has enabled the Company to expand beyond its retail stores to include e-commerce sales on www.buildabear.com and non-plush branded consumer categories via out-bound licensing agreements with leading manufacturers, as well as the creation of engaging content via Build-A-Bear Entertainment (a subsidiary of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.). The brand’s newest communications campaign, "The Stuff You Love," commemorates more than a quarter-century of creating cherished memories worldwide. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) posted consolidated total revenues of $496.0 million for fiscal 2024. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements that are, or may be considered to be, “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. We generally identify these statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “predict,” “future,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative or any derivative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All the information concerning our future liquidity, future revenues, margins and other future financial performance and results, achievement of operating of financial plans or forecasts for future periods, sources and availability of credit and liquidity, future cash flows and cash needs, success and results of strategic initiatives and other future financial performance or financial position, as well as our assumptions underlying such information, constitute forward-looking information.
These statements are based only on our current expectations and projections about future events. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed under the caption entitled “Risks Related to Our Business” and “Forward-Looking Statements” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 18, 2024, and other periodic reports filed with the SEC which are incorporated herein.
All our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this Press Release only. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. We can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. An occurrence of or any material adverse change in one or more of the risk factors or other risks and uncertainties referred to in this Press Release or included in our other public disclosures or our other periodic reports or other documents or filings filed with or furnished to the SEC could materially and adversely affect our continuing operations and our future financial results, cash flows, available credit, prospects, and liquidity. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
1 See attached non-GAAP Financial information for discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures, including pro forma revenue and pre-tax income growth.
2 See attached non-GAAP Financial information for discussion and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures, including pro forma revenue and pre-tax income growth.
2025
Revenues (1)
2024
Revenues (1)
139,499
92.7
140,191
93.9
9,529
6.3
7,729
5.2
1,418
1.0
1,358
0.9
150,446
100.0
149,278
100.0
60,062
43.1
60,652
43.3
4,229
44.4
3,634
47.0
1,011
71.3
775
57.1
65,302
43.4
65,061
43.6
85,144
56.6
84,217
56.4
57,796
38.4
58,473
39.2
(138
)
(0.1
)
(405
)
(0.3
)
27,486
18.3
26,149
17.5
5,808
3.9
3,876
2.6
21,678
14.4
22,273
14.9
1.63
1.57
1.62
1.57
13,297,099
14,146,883
13,355,474
14,224,767
(1)
2025
Revenues (1)
2024
Revenues (1)
460,325
92.8
456,163
93.8
31,387
6.3
25,413
5.2
4,692
0.9
4,538
0.9
496,404
100.0
486,114
99.9
207,200
45.0
206,815
45.3
13,439
42.8
12,092
47.6
3,247
69.2
2,816
62.1
223,886
45.1
221,723
45.6
272,518
54.9
264,391
54.4
206,238
41.5
198,991
40.9
(861
)
(0.2
)
(929
)
(0.2
)
67,141
13.5
66,329
13.6
15,356
3.1
13,524
2.8
51,785
10.4
52,805
10.9
3.81
3.68
3.80
3.65
13,578,587
14,342,931
13,621,075
14,471,875
(1)
2025
2024
2023
$
27,758
$
44,327
$
42,198
69,775
63,499
70,485
16,096
8,569
15,374
12,669
11,377
19,374
126,298
127,772
147,431
90,200
73,443
71,791
59,761
55,262
50,759
7,596
8,682
6,592
6,101
7,166
4,221
$
289,956
$
272,325
$
280,794
$
16,538
$
16,170
$
10,286
16,209
19,954
37,358
26,841
25,961
27,436
15,791
18,134
19,425
4,015
3,514
6,646
79,394
83,733
101,151
70,155
57,609
59,080
1,325
1,321
1,446
133
142
148
61,987
66,330
69,868
(12,554
)
(12,082
)
(12,274
)
89,516
75,272
61,375
139,082
129,662
119,117
$
289,956
$
272,325
$
280,794
2025
2024
2025
2024
79,437
79,539
253,125
249,348
56.9
%
56.7
%
55.0
%
54.7
%
9,746
7,171
19,317
18,295
3,790
4,117
14,772
13,657
328
320
40
39
368
359
83
74
138
92
733,972
732,966
56,542
54,787
790,514
787,753
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
2025
2024
2025
2024
$
150,446
$
149,278
$
496,404
$
486,114
(6,913
)
(6,913
)
$
150,446
$
142,365
$
496,404
$
479,201
2025
2024
2025
2024
$
27,486
$
26,149
$
67,141
$
66,329
(2,420
)
(2,420
)
$
27,486
$
23,729
$
67,141
$
63,909
2025
2024
2025
2024
$
21,678
$
22,273
$
51,785
$
52,805
(436
)
(4,361
)
(436
)
(4,361
)
-
1,102
-
1,102
$
21,242
$
19,014
$
51,349
$
49,546
1.62
1.57
3.81
3.65
1.59
1.34
3.77
3.42
2025
2024
2025
2024
$
27,486
$
26,149
$
67,141
$
66,329
(138
)
(405
)
(861
)
(929
)
3,790
4,117
14,772
13,657
$
31,138
$
29,861
$
81,052
$
79,057
2025
2024
2025
2024
$
31,138
$
29,861
$
81,052
$
79,057
-
(2,420
)
-
(2,420
)
$
31,138
$
27,441
$
81,052
$
76,637
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
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