Tricks to get a discount at Build-A-Bear including a free gift on your birthday and 10% off with a gift card
FANS of the Build-A-Bear workshop can get money off at the till with these tips and tricks.
The stores specialise in giving children the opportunity to stuff their own toys and even record a message so it can speak to make the gifts even more personal.
But they can come at a price, with some of the bears costing up to £50 a pop.
One helpful bargain hunter has put together a round up of all the ways that you can save money at the beloved toy shop.
The tips, which have been shared on the forum, include bagging a free toy on your birthday and getting an extra 10 per cent off when paying using a gift card.
From signing up to the loyalty scheme to bookmarking the upcoming events page online, here's how you can save at the Build-A-Bear factory:
Sign up to the Build-A-Bear Bonus Club
The retailer has its own loyalty club where members get access to extra discounts or early access to upcoming offers.
You'll need to register an account to sign up to the scheme. To do this, you will have to provide some personal details such as your full name, email address and birthday.
Subscribers will then be able to see any bonus discounts or offers as and when they happen in their account section on the website.
You'll also be given a membership card that lets you collect points every time you spend in store or online.
Shoppers can earn one point for every £1 you spend and will receive a £5 Build-A-Bear voucher for every 50 points earned.
The vouchers will be sent to your email account but they have an expiry date so you'll need to use them up before then.
Remember though, when you sign up to schemes like this you often have to consent to the retailer targeting you with marketing emails.
Get a free gift on your birthday
Bonus Club members have to fill in details on their birthday when they sign up to the loyalty scheme.
This is so that when your birthday comes around, you'll be emailed a voucher that can be redeemed in store for a free gift.
We're not sure exactly what these gifts are but we've asked the retailer and will update this piece when we know for sure.
In the meantime, we reckon it could be anything from bonus loyalty points to a free item from the accessories or clothing range for you or your bear.
Pay your age for a £14 bear
Build-A-Bear loves birthdays - they even have a special teddy to celebrate the occasion which costs £14.
But in your birthday month, you can pay £1 per year for how old you are going to be for the same bear.
So for example, if you're going to be 5-years-old, you only have to pay £5.
The offer is only available in stores to Bonus Club customers.
10 per cent off when you redeem a gift card
The retailer is currently running a 10 per cent off deal when you redeem a gift card in store.
It means that a £10 gift card will actually be worth £11 when you use it to buy in branch.
The deal is only running until February 1 and you'll need to show at the checkout to get the bargain.
It's ideal for anyone one was given one or Christmas but you should be wary of purchasing a gift card just for the discount.
Although there is no sign the the retailer is struggling, gift cards are not likely to be honoured if a company goes bust and you could end up losing all of the money on it.
They also come with an expiry date so make sure you use it before it comes to an end.
Sign up to in-store events
Keep an eye on any upcoming in-store events that could see money off your bill.
There's a to the bargains that are currently on offer or due to be made available, so it's worth bookmarking it.
For example, this week there is a buy-one-get-one-free offer on all of the make-your-own furry friends bears, which are worth £8 each.
Most read in money
There are over 50 Build-A-Bear outlets in the UK and you can find your .
Two years ago, Build-A-Bear held a "Pay your age" event where shoppers could buy a bear for £1 for every year of their age even if it wasn't their birthday month.
But the idea was so popular that some customers queued outside shops for nine hours and fights broke out among parents while they waited.