White Marsh Build-A-Bear Offers $5.50 Bears For National Hug Day

WHITE MARSH, MD — Build-A-Bear is celebrating national hug day with an offer that can be redeemed on two separate days over the long holiday weekend. The promotion will be available on Sunday, Jan. 20, and Monday, Jan. 21, according to a statement from the company.

At workshop locations in the U.S., three bears will be $5.50 apiece.

Lil' Cub Pudding, Lil' Cub Walnut and Lil' Cub Brownie will be available for $5.50 each during the National Hug Day promotion. Clothing and accessories are sold separately.

To redeem the offer, people must be members of the Build-A-Bear bonus club. Joining the bonus club is free and allows customers to earn points for spending money at the workshops.

Guests can buy up to six bears for $5.50 each in the National Hug Day promotion.

National Hug Day is Jan. 19 and was created in 1986 by a Michigan addiction counselor for juvenile delinquents who told People magazine he felt expressing feelings was not society's strong suit. He said he selected the date because it fell between Christmas and Valentine's Day, when many might need a pick-me-up. The event has since grown into an international observance.

The National Hug Day promotion at Build-A-Bear will feature a limited-edition National Hug Day heart that kids can use to "wish" their bears into life.

It comes six months after Build-A-Bear held a "pay your age" promotion, which led to long lines at the workshops and many customers being turned away. If you want to avoid such a situation this time around, Build-A-Bear is also offering a promotion online but you will have to pay several dollars more. A selection of bears will be available online on Jan. 20-21 for $10.
Build-A-Bear says the promotion is being offered at all workshop, concourse and outlet locations except Build-A-Bear Bakeshop and Workshop stores located within other shops, retail stores or restaurants.

The Build-A-Bear workshop in White Marsh is located at the White Marsh Mall, 8200 Perry Hall Boulevard. Hours at the store are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21.

Build-A-Bear has several locations in Maryland:

• Westfield Annapolis, Annapolis
• Harborplace, Baltimore
• Westfield Montgomery, Bethesda
• The Mall in Columbia, Columbia
• Arundel Mills, Hanover
• Towson Town Center, Towson
• St. Charles Towne Center, Waldorf
• White Marsh Mall, White Marsh

Find more information on the Build-A-Bear National Hug Day promotion.

(Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images for Build-A-Bear)