Media & Insights

White Rose celebrates Build-A-Bear’s 20th Anniversary with refreshed concept store

5 September 2017

Landsec recently unveiled its new, remodelled Build-A-Bear Workshop store at White Rose, in Leeds, with a refreshed brand, layout and colour palette. The new and improved 2,143 sq ft store, marking the celebration of Build-A-Bear’s 20th Anniversary year, features an updated storefront, with the brand’s distinctive teddy bear silhouette. White Rose celebrated its own 20th Anniversary in March 2017.  

The characteristic customer engagement element of Build-A-Bear Workshop complements the vibrant retail and leisure offering at White Rose, anchored by a new 65,000 sq ft leisure extension which opened in July. White Rose will heighten the customer experience of the new store by hosting a ‘Teddy Bears Picnic’ on 16 September, which is testament to the relationship the centre maintains with its customers through innovative events. 

The first Build-A-Bear Workshop store opened in 1997 in the USA. Today there are over 400 stores worldwide and over 125 million bears have been sold around the globe. Build-A-Bear Workshop offers an interactive destination where customers can create their own personalised furry friends by adding stuffing, sounds, scents and a ‘heart’. 

Landsec is committed to improving the existing retail and leisure spaces in its industry leading portfolio by updating and refreshing them to maximise the potential of its occupiers. White Rose is a prime location for store upgrades, demonstrated by similar projects undertaken by Next and Superdry earlier this year. 

Next opened its new White Rose store in June, which is almost double the size of its previous unit, re-designed and expanded over two floors and introduces customers to its children and homeware collections for the first time. Superdry chose White Rose as one of only three destinations in which to launch a new store concept that focuses on its successful leisure-wear collections. 

Rob Jewell, Portfolio Director, Landsec, said: “There has been a real surge of retailers at the centre either upsizing or refreshing their stores, which demonstrates their confidence in Landsec and White Rose. The mix of stores within the centre appeal to all generations and we look forward to our younger customers enjoying the new Build-A-Bear Workshop store.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

  • White Rose features over 120 retailers, 30 eateries, free parking spaces and a bus station
  • On 4th July, White Rose launched its fully-let leisure-led extension featuring six new restaurants– Five Guys, Limeyard, Chiquito, Wagamama, TGI Fridays and Pizza Hut – with an 11-screen state-of-the-art IMAX Cineworld multiplex, an outdoor event space and a bespoke play area opening later this year
  • The leisure extension follows the 20,000 sq ft, £7 million dining destination (named ‘The Balcony’) that was installed in 2014
  • New retailers include Whittakers, Pizza Express, Tessuti, Fuel and Smiggle
  • White Rose is anchored by Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, Next and Primark
  • Other retailers include River Island, Zara, Superdry, Lush Cosmetics, H&M, Boux Avenue and Disney
  • As the largest city after London and Birmingham, Leeds’ resident catchment is over 5.6m

About Landsec

At Landsec, we believe great places are for people to experience and are made with the experience of great people. As the UK’s largest listed commercial property company, with 23.2 million sq ft of real estate and a portfolio valued at £14.4 billion, we own and manage some of the most successful and recognisable assets in the country.

In London, our portfolio totals more than £8.3 billion, and consists of 6.5 million sq ft of real estate. From the world-famous Piccadilly Lights to the transformation of Victoria, SW1, we deliver exceptional experiences for the businesses and people that live and work in, and visit, the capital.

In retail, across our 16.7 million sq ft of assets, we create outstanding experiences for customers and guests alike. Combined with the strength and resilience of our portfolio, this means we regularly outperform industry benchmarks for footfall and sales. We offer more than convenience and choice, recognising that memorable destinations are key to attracting the shoppers and retailers of today, and tomorrow.

We also aim to lead our industry in critical long-term issues – from diversity and community employment, to carbon and climate resilience. Everything we do is grounded in experience and begins with people. We deliver value for our shareholders, great experiences for our customers and positive change for our communities. At Landsec, everything is experience.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Smith    
T: +44 (0) 20 7409 3434
andrew.smith@innesco.co.uk

Lisa Huggins
T: +44 (0) 20 7409 3434
lisa.huggins@innesco.co.uk