Build-A-Bear Reviews | Glassdoor.co.uk
Build-A-Bear Reviews
Companies
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Salaries
  • Interviews

    Build-A-Bear Reviews

    Updated 6 Dec 2019

    Clear All
    Full-time, Part-time
    English
    • Administrative
    • Arts & Design
    • Business
    • Consulting
    • Customer Services & Support
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Finance & Accounting
    • Healthcare
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Legal
    • Marketing
    • Media & Communications
    • Military & Protective Services
    • Operations
    • Other
    • Product & Project Management
    • Research & Science
    • Retail & Food Services
    • Sales
    • Skilled Labor & Manufacturing
    • Transportation
    • Worldwide
    • United Kingdom - All Cities
    • - England
    • - Birmingham Area
    • - Blackpool Area
    • - Bournemouth Area
    • - Brighton Area
    • - Cambridge Area
    • - Chelmsford Area
    • - Colchester Area
    • - Derby Area
    • - Leeds Area
    • - Liverpool Area
    • - London Area
    • - Manchester Area
    • - Newcastle upon Tyne Area
    • - Norwich Area
    • - Nottingham Area
    • - Plymouth Area
    • - Sheffield Area
    • - Slough Area
    • - Southend-on-Sea Area
    • - Swindon Area
    • - York Area
    • - Telford, England
    • - Scotland
    • - Edinburgh Area
    • - Glasgow Area
    • United States - All Cities
    • - Missouri
    • - St. Louis, MO, US Area
    • - Kansas City, MO, US Area
    • - Alabama
    • - Anniston, AL, US Area
    • - Daphne, AL, US Area
    • - Huntsville, AL, US Area
    • - Alaska
    • - Anchorage, AK, US Area
    • - Arizona
    • - Phoenix, AZ, US Area
    • - Arkansas
    • - Fayetteville, AR, US Area
    • - Jonesboro, AR, US Area
    • - California
    • - Fresno, CA, US Area
    • - Hanford, CA, US Area
    • - Los Angeles, CA, US Area
    • - Riverside, CA, US Area
    • - Sacramento, CA, US Area
    • - Salinas, CA, US Area
    • - San Diego, CA, US Area
    • - San Francisco, CA, US Area
    • - San Jose, CA, US Area
    • - Colorado
    • - Denver, CO, US Area
    • - Fort Collins, CO, US Area
    • - Delaware
    • - Philadelphia, PA, US Area
    • - District of Columbia
    • - Washington, DC , US Area
    • - Florida
    • - Jacksonville, FL, US Area
    • - Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL, US Area
    • - Orlando, FL, US Area
    • - Tampa, FL, US Area
    • - Georgia
    • - Atlanta, GA, US Area
    • - Augusta, GA, US Area
    • - Illinois
    • - Chicago, IL, US Area
    • - Indiana
    • - Fort Wayne, IN, US Area
    • - Indianapolis, IN, US Area
    • - South Bend, IN, US Area
    • - Iowa
    • - Des Moines, IA, US Area
    • - Kansas
    • - Kansas City, MO, US Area
    • - Wichita, KS, US Area
    • - Kentucky
    • - Cincinnati, OH, US Area
    • - Louisville, KY, US Area
    • - Louisiana
    • - Lafayette, LA, US Area
    • - New Orleans, LA, US Area
    • - Shreveport, LA, US Area
    • - Maine
    • - Bangor, ME, US Area
    • - Maryland
    • - Baltimore, MD, US Area
    • - Washington, DC , US Area
    • - Massachusetts
    • - Boston, MA, US Area
    • - Providence, RI, US Area
    • - Michigan
    • - Ann Arbor, MI, US Area
    • - Detroit, MI, US Area
    • - Kalamazoo, MI, US Area
    • - Minnesota
    • - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, US Area
    • - Nevada
    • - Las Vegas, NV, US Area
    • - New Hampshire
    • - Boston, MA, US Area
    • - Manchester, NH, US Area
    • - New Jersey
    • - Atlantic City, NJ, US Area
    • - New York City, NY, US Area
    • - Philadelphia, PA, US Area
    • - New Mexico
    • - Albuquerque, NM, US Area
    • - New York State
    • - Albany, NY, US Area
    • - Buffalo, NY, US Area
    • - New York City, NY, US Area
    • - Rochester, NY, US Area
    • - Syracuse, NY, US Area
    • - North Carolina
    • - Asheville, NC, US Area
    • - Charlotte, NC, US Area
    • - Greensboro, NC, US Area
    • - Raleigh-Durham, NC, US Area
    • - Winston-Salem, NC, US Area
    • - Ohio
    • - Akron, OH, US Area
    • - Canton, OH, US Area
    • - Cleveland, OH, US Area
    • - Columbus, OH, US Area
    • - Toledo, OH, US Area
    • - Oklahoma
    • - Tulsa, OK, US Area
    • - Pennsylvania
    • - Allentown, PA, US Area
    • - Erie, PA, US Area
    • - Philadelphia, PA, US Area
    • - Pittsburgh, PA, US Area
    • - Reading, PA, US Area
    • - Rhode Island
    • - Providence, RI, US Area
    • - South Carolina
    • - Greenville, SC, US Area
    • - Myrtle Beach, SC, US Area
    • - Spartanburg, SC, US Area
    • - Tennessee
    • - Chattanooga, TN, US Area
    • - Knoxville, TN, US Area
    • - Nashville, TN, US Area
    • - Pall Mall, TN
    • - Texas
    • - Austin, TX, US Area
    • - Beaumont, TX, US Area
    • - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, US Area
    • - Houston, TX, US Area
    • - San Antonio, TX, US Area
    • - Utah
    • - Ogden, UT, US Area
    • - Salt Lake City, UT, US Area
    • - Virginia
    • - Richmond, VA, US Area
    • - Roanoke, VA, US Area
    • - Washington, DC , US Area
    • - Short Pump, VA
    • - Washington State
    • - Seattle, WA, US Area
    • - Spokane, WA, US Area
    • - Wisconsin
    • - Baraboo, WI, US Area
    • - Madison, WI, US Area
    • - Milwaukee, WI, US Area
    • Australia - All Cities
    • - New South Wales
    • - Sydney, Australia Area
    • - Victoria
    • - Melbourne, Australia Area
    • - Western Australia
    • - Perth, Australia Area
    • Canada - All Cities
    • - British Columbia
    • - Vancouver, BC, Canada Area
    • - Manitoba
    • - Winnipeg, MB, Canada Area
    • - Ontario
    • - Ottawa, ON, Canada Area
    • - Toronto, ON, Canada Area
    • Denmark - All Cities
    • - Capital Region
    • - Copenhagen, Denmark Area
    • Ireland - All Cities
    • - Dublin
    • - Dublin, Ireland Area
    • Mexico - All Cities
    • - Coahuila
    • - Torreón, Coahuila
    • - México
    • - Mexico City, Mexico Area
    • Norway - All Cities
    • - Oslo
    • - Oslo, Norway Area
    • Singapore - All Cities
    • - East
    • - Singapore, Singapore Area
    • - Singapore, Singapore Area
    • Sweden - All Cities
    • - Skåne
    • - Lund, Sweden Area
    • Turkey - All Cities
    • - Istanbul
    • - Istanbul, Turkey Area
    • English
    • French
    • German
    • Dutch
    • Portuguese
    • Spanish
    • Italian
    To filter reviews, or .

    3.7
    60%
    Recommend to a Friend
    72%
    Approve of CEO
    Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon John (no image)
    Sharon John
    175 Ratings
    Pros
    Cons

    • "The pay was the bare minimum of minimum wage" (in 38 reviews)

    • "Especially if you’re looking for something part time in retail" (in 33 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "Best workplace going"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Bear Builder in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time for more than a year

      Pros

      I worked at the Fenwicks concession in Newcastle, and I adored my time at BABW. My beautiful team I hold close to my heart, and management were so welcoming, helpful, and kind - Chris and Julie, you are not only incredible management/leaders, but amazing people! The team are like a close knit family, and every new employee is welcomed with open arms. Every day is so different, and you learn to host parties and get... to make such special memories for guests! I loved it.

      Show More

      Cons

      I don’t have a bad word to say on the company.

      Build-A-Bear2019-11-25

    2. "Neutral experience"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Sales Lead in Derby, England
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No Opinion of CEO

      I have been working at Build-A-Bear part-time for more than a year

      Pros

      flexible employer open to your needs and patterns required. Willing to work with you to keep up prior commitments and education studies.

      Cons

      Limit on wages Inaccessible HR for issues Very Focussed of the bottom line over employee

      Build-A-Bear2019-11-25
      3. Join the Build-A-Bear team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Unorganised"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Retail Sales Associate in London, England
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time for less than a year

      Pros

      Good team Enjoyable experience

      Cons

      Management team was unorganised

      Advice to Management

      Be organised

      Build-A-Bear2019-12-06

    4. "Not great"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Cashier 

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time

      Pros

      Discount on bears and flexible hours

      Cons

      Boring and very repetitive every day

      Build-A-Bear2019-08-16

    5. "Not good"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Sales Lead 
      Doesn't Recommend

      I have been working at Build-A-Bear full-time for more than a year

      Pros

      Working with kids Working with a lovely team

      Cons

      Working by yourself sometimes Long hours Management does not tell you anything Understaffed Not busy Expected to do the most work to be paid peanuts

      Advice to Management

      Management need to pull their finger out and listen to their team in order to be successful

      Build-A-Bear2019-08-02

    6. "Great"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Customer Assistant 

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time

      Pros

      Great management fun environment and everyday is different

      Cons

      Pay isn't great, minimum plus a zero hour contract

      Build-A-Bear2019-07-16

    7. "Middle of the road"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Chief Workshop Manager 

      I have been working at Build-A-Bear full-time for more than 3 years

      Pros

      The guests are usually amazing - you genuinely meet some of the most incredible kids and adults and they are so grateful for helping make their day. My team is amazing and we are like a big family. The job can be really fun! We don't take ourselves seriously and each day is so different - you go from singing happy birthday to seeing a child's face light up when they get to give their bear traits. It's a... totally different type of retail and something new and fun despite how long you have worked in the sector for.

      Show More

      Cons

      Communication isn't great. It's often last minute and the company changed their mind frequently. Plannograms and changeover guides are often only uploaded a few days before, or promo aren't sent through until the morning of the day they're supposed to change. You can often feel like a glorified Bear Builder because it's all about keeping the payroll tight, and it's hard to get off the floor to get rotas /... paperwork etc done. Being chirpy 100% of the time is seriously draining. You have to be at max energy all day and during peak, that is really tough! From time to time you get some of the rudest, most entitled guests who make a fuss over a stuffed toy. The focus on delivering amazing service is often overshadowed by the expectations to sell, sell, sell. If you aren't delivering metrics, it's "why?" when in actual fact sometimes it's out of your control despite having tried your best. There's inconsistency with reward and recognition, and I personally feel unappreciated.

      Show More

      Advice to Management

      Let managers be managers and stop cutting hours. Communication needs to be fine tuned and more slick. Pay all BBs the same wage, rather than have a 17 year old earn over £2 an hour less then someone who's 25.

      Build-A-Bear2019-07-16
    8. Helpful (1)

      "Waste of time."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Bear Builder in Bournemouth, England
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No Opinion of CEO

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time for more than a year

      Pros

      You get rewarded with food and sometimes a free bear & get 30% discount and 50% during Christmas.

      Cons

      Everyone apart from management on 4 hour contracts. Sometimes sent home because store is quiet. They expect too much and pay you peanuts. No chance for career development. One hour of my pay would go on travel there. Constantly being overly chirpy is emotionally draining. Too much upselling to children. Money is their main focus.

      Advice to Management

      Don’t pull up on things your employees are doing wrong on the shop floor as it is humiliating.

      Build-A-Bear2019-06-12

    9. "Great company to work for"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Compensation and Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Team Leader in Slough, Berkshire, South East England, England
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at Build-A-Bear full-time for more than 5 years

      Pros

      Caring management, opportunity’s for Career Progression. I could not fault the company, i have worked here for 5 years.

      Cons

      non that i can think off, i have loved my time working here.

      Advice to Management

      Keep doing what you are doing!

      Build-A-Bear2019-04-25

    10. "Awful"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Sales Assistant 

      I worked at Build-A-Bear part-time

      Pros

      Fun, nice to make children’s day

      Cons

      Horrible targets that make you force sales on children which feels immoral, awful awful awful pay

      Build-A-Bear2019-05-22
    Found 665 reviews
    </>Embed