As recently as June 2025, specialty retailer Build-a-Bear Workshop (BBW) earned a write-up in this space for its stellar 5-year returns – 4,658%, compared to only 1,490% for artificial intelligence (AI) heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA).
Build-A-Bear has since experienced a dramatic reversal of fortune, with shares plunging 18% in early trading on Thursday, August 27, after the retailer reported disappointing second-quarter results and cut its full-year outlook for the second time this year.