ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) today reported results for the 2017 third quarter and the 39 weeks ended September 30, 2017.

Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “For the third quarter, we reported total revenue that approached last year’s and pre-tax earnings in line with guidance, despite expected softness in comps, due in part to continued macro traffic challenges and the disruption caused by the planned transition to our new web platform. Normalizing for the web transition and unexpected weather impacts, we estimate our total revenue would have been slightly positive. Our ability to deliver these earnings is reflective of our focus on expanding gross margin; our strategy to transform the store base to more productive formats, which are not all included in comp sales; and the evolution of revenue streams beyond traditional stores. Toward the end of the quarter, we also built on the success of last year’s National Teddy Bear Day event and made final preparations for the early October relaunch of the Build-A-Bear website.

“We believe we are positioned to capitalize on the holiday selling season with a strong lineup of licensed and proprietary properties,” Ms. John continued. “We remain focused on evolving our strategy of delivering growth in total revenues and profit expansion while remaining disciplined in regard to capital allocation. Separately, we are excited to announce the return of our brand to Manhattan with a new Discovery store next to the Empire State Building slated to open later today.”

Third Quarter 2017 Highlights (13 weeks ended September 30, 2017, compared to the 13 weeks ended October 1, 2016):

Total revenues were $82.4 million compared to $83.7 million in the fiscal 2016 third quarter;

Consolidated net retail sales were $80.6 million compared to $81.9 million in the fiscal 2016 third quarter;

Consolidated comparable sales declined 7.4% and included a 7.8% decrease in North America, and a 5.2% decrease in Europe. Following a 25.2% increase in e-commerce sales in the fiscal 2016 third quarter, this year’s consolidated comparable e-commerce sales decreased 18.2%, partially reflecting the expected disruption caused by the transition to a new web platform;

Retail gross margin was 44.2%, an increase of 90 basis points compared to the fiscal 2016 third quarter, reflecting a 220 basis-point expansion in merchandise margin partially offset by de-leverage of fixed occupancy costs;

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were $34.3 million, or 41.6% of total revenues, compared to $33.4 million, or 39.9% of total revenues, in the fiscal 2016 third quarter. The increase is driven by the reversal of performance based compensation in last year’s results as well as an increase in expenses related to store count growth this year offset by favorable exchange rates in the 2017 fiscal third quarter;

Pre-tax income was $2.2 million compared to pre-tax income of $2.8 million in the fiscal 2016 third quarter;

Income tax expense was $0.7 million with an effective tax rate of 33.4%, compared to income tax expense of $1.0 million with an effective tax rate of 34.2% in the fiscal 2016 third quarter; and

Net income was $1.4 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to net income of $1.8 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, in the fiscal 2016 third quarter.

First Nine Months Fiscal 2017 Highlights (39 weeks ended September 30, 2017, compared to the 39 weeks ended October 1, 2016):

Total revenues were $250.3 million compared to $253.9 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2016;

Consolidated net retail sales were $243.6 million compared to $249.9 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2016;

Consolidated comparable sales decreased 5.8% and included a 6.4% decrease in North America and a 2.4% decrease in Europe. Consolidated comparable e-commerce sales decreased 4.9% following an 11.9% increase in the first nine months of fiscal 2016;

Retail gross margin was 45.1% compared to 44.9% in the first nine months of fiscal 2016, driven by improvements in merchandise margin;

SG&A expenses decreased $2.4 million to $107.8 million, or 43.1% of total revenues, compared to 43.4% of total revenues in the first nine months of fiscal 2016;

Pre-tax income was $4.1 million compared to a pre-tax income of $1.8 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2016;

Tax expense was $1.5 million with an effective tax rate of 35.5% compared to tax expense of $0.8 million with an effective tax rate of 42.0% in the first nine months of fiscal 2016; and

Net income was $2.7 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to net income of $1.1 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, in the first nine months of fiscal 2016.

Store Activity:

During the third quarter, the Company opened 9 new stores, closed 9 locations and remodeled or reformatted 7 stores. As of September 30, 2017, the Company operated 353 company-owned stores, including 100 in a Discovery format, with 292 locations in North America, 60 in Europe and 1 in China. The Company’s international franchisees ended the period with 90 stores in 11 countries.

Balance Sheet:

The Company ended the fiscal 2017 third quarter with cash and cash equivalents totaling $10.9 million and no borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Total inventory at quarter-end was $62.0 million compared to $59.4 million in the prior year third quarter, an increase of 4.3%. Excluding concourse shops, average inventory per store is down 6.5% at the end of the 2017 fiscal third quarter. In the fiscal 2017 third quarter, capital expenditures were $4.8 million, and depreciation and amortization was $4.2 million.

Share Repurchase:

On August 21, 2017, in conjunction with the completion of the Company’s review of strategic alternatives, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program of up to $20.0 million. During the third quarter of 2017, the Company utilized $1.0 million in cash to repurchase approximately 112,000 shares of its common stock. At quarter end, the Company had $19.0 million available under the share repurchase authorization.

2017 Key Strategic Initiatives:

CHANNEL Evolution

The Company continues to evolve its real estate portfolio by diversifying locations and formats. Building on a successful test in fall 2016, the Company expanded its new, innovative concourse shop model by adding 3 locations in the third quarter, ending the period with 23 concourse shops. Concourse shops require less capital, have shorter term leases and, at approximately 200 square feet, offer a flexible model for a wide range of venues. Separately, today, the Company is expected to open a new location in New York City next to the Empire State Building, allowing it to serve both tourists and local consumers.

The Company also continues to leverage its successful Discovery store format as it remodeled or relocated 7 locations in the third quarter finishing the period with 100 locations in a Discovery format including the aforementioned concourse shops.

During the third quarter, the Company made final preparations for the early October relaunch of the Build-A-Bear web platform, which is expected to allow for improved performance ahead of the fourth quarter and holiday season while paving the way for increased omni-channel capabilities.

On the international front, the Company has signed a new franchise agreement granting territory rights in China, Hong Kong and Macau with plans to open the first store in Beijing this December.

PRODUCT Expansion

The Company is focused on meeting the needs of its core consumer base, boys and girls ages 3 to 12, while systematically building secondary consumer segments, including the teen-plus affinity and gift-giver consumers. Accordingly, the Company plans to balance its offering of core products with a comprehensive program of key licensed properties, including products with tie-ins to major movie releases throughout the remainder of 2017, while continuing to develop and expand offerings of its successful owned intellectual property stories, such as its Promise Pets, Honey Girls and the holiday-specific Merry Mission collections.

The Company also plans to continue to build outbound licensing programs by leveraging the power of the Build-A-Bear brand, as well as other owned intellectual properties. New license agreements have been added in categories ranging from non-plush toys to slippers and electronics, with updates and launches planned throughout the rest of the year.

BRAND and EXPERIENCE Amplification

In addition to creating sharable, emotional content that more authentically communicates the heart of the brand, the Company is making adjustments to marketing programs that create synergy across channels. In September, the Company held its second annual celebration of National Teddy Bear Day with an in-store event that built on the prior year’s success. Separately, the Company plans to continue to develop entertainment content, including mobile apps, music videos and other opportunities that increase engagement and are designed to improve efficiency, drive traffic and lead to profitable sales growth.

LONG-TERM PROFITABILITY Improvement

The Company is focused on improving profitability by driving revenue growth through the execution of its stated strategies, as well as disciplined expense management and ongoing efforts in process and systems upgrades, including the recent launch of its new web platform. In the third quarter, the Company improved both merchandise margin and gross profit margin reflecting the successful execution of its profitability improvement initiatives.

As Build-A-Bear celebrates its 20th year in business and continues to evolve into a multi-generational, multi-dimensional branded company, the plans and actions that have been implemented since the start of the turnaround in 2013 are expected to provide the foundation to execute the Company’s strategies and achieve its goal of sustained profitable growth.

Today’s Conference Call Webcast:

Build-A-Bear Workshop will host a live internet webcast of its quarterly investor conference call at 9 a.m. ET today. The audio broadcast may be accessed at the Company’s investor relations website, http://IR.buildabear.com. The call is expected to conclude by 10 a.m. ET.

A replay of the conference call webcast will be available in the investor relations website for one year. A telephone replay will be available beginning at approximately noon ET today until midnight ET on November 11, 2017. The telephone replay is available by calling (844)-512-2921. The access code is 13671471.

About Build-A-Bear

Celebrating 20 years of business in 2017, Build-A-Bear is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has over 400 stores worldwide where guests can create customizable furry friends, including company-owned stores in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and China, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. The company was named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the ninth year in a row in 2017. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted a total revenue of $364.2 million in fiscal 2016. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that are, or may be considered to be, “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. We generally identify these statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “predict,” “future,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative or any derivative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All of the information concerning the potential outcome of exploring strategic alternatives, our future liquidity, future revenues, margins and other future financial performance and results, achievement of operating of financial plans or forecasts for future periods, sources and availability of credit and liquidity, future cash flows and cash needs, success and results of strategic initiatives and other future financial performance or financial position, as well as our assumptions underlying such information, constitute forward-looking information.

These statements are based only on our current expectations and projections about future events. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed under the caption entitled “Risks Related to Our Business” and “Forward-Looking Statements” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 16, 2017 and other periodic reports filed with the SEC which are incorporated herein.

All of our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this Press Release only. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. We can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. An occurrence of or any material adverse change in one or more of the risk factors or other risks and uncertainties referred to in this Press Release or included in our other public disclosures or our other periodic reports or other documents or filings filed with or furnished to the SEC could materially and adversely affect our continuing operations and our future financial results, cash flows, available credit, prospects and liquidity. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) 13 Weeks 13 Weeks Ended Ended September 30, % of Total October 1, % of Total 2017 Revenues (1) 2016 Revenues (1) Revenues: Net retail sales $ 80,551 97.7 $ 81,870 97.8 Commercial revenue 1,305 1.6 1,322 1.6 Franchise fees 572 0.7 556 0.6 Total revenues 82,428 100.0 83,748 100.0 Costs and expenses: Cost of merchandise sold - retail (1) 44,915 55.8 46,461 56.7 Cost of merchandise sold - commercial (1) 590 45.2 535 40.5 Selling, general and administrative 34,268 41.6 33,404 39.9 Store preopening 488 0.6 571 0.7 Interest (income) expense, net 2 0.0 (19 ) (0.0) Total costs and expenses 80,263 97.4 80,952 96.7 Income before income taxes 2,165 2.6 2,796 3.3 Income tax expense 723 0.9 955 1.1 Net income $ 1,442 1.7 $ 1,841 2.2 Income per common share: Basic $ 0.09 $ 0.12 Diluted $ 0.09 $ 0.11 Shares used in computing common per share amounts: Basic 15,633,290 15,518,115 Diluted 15,816,265 15,691,004

(1) Selected statement of operations data expressed as a percentage of total revenues, except cost of merchandise sold - retail and cost of merchandise sold - commercial that are expressed as a percentage of net retail sales and commercial revenue, respectively. Percentages will not total due to cost of merchandise sold being expressed as a percentage of net retail sales and commercial revenue and immaterial rounding.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) 39 Weeks 39 Weeks Ended Ended September 30, % of Total October 1, % of Total 2017 Revenues (1) 2016 Revenues (1) Revenues: Net retail sales $ 243,559 97.3 $ 249,854 98.4 Commercial revenue 5,037 2.0 2,601 1.0 Franchise fees 1,689 0.7 1,407 0.6 Total revenues 250,285 100.0 253,862 100.0 Costs and expenses: Cost of merchandise sold - retail (1) 133,686 54.9 137,778 55.1 Cost of merchandise sold - commercial (1) 2,712 53.8 1,213 46.6 Selling, general and administrative 107,760 43.1 110,135 43.4 Store preopening 2,000 0.8 2,969 1.2 Interest (income) expense, net (16 ) (0.0) (58 ) (0.0) Total costs and expenses 246,142 98.3 252,037 99.3 Income before income taxes 4,143 1.7 1,825 0.7 Income tax expense 1,470 0.6 767 0.3 Net income $ 2,673 1.1 $ 1,058 0.4 Income per common share: Basic $ 0.17 $ 0.07 Diluted $ 0.17 $ 0.07 Shares used in computing common per share amounts: Basic 15,600,184 15,471,759 Diluted 15,789,851 15,650,143

(1) Selected statement of operations data expressed as a percentage of total revenues, except cost of merchandise sold - retail and cost of merchandise sold - commercial that are expressed as a percentage of net retail sales and commercial revenue, respectively. Percentages will not total due to cost of merchandise sold being expressed as a percentage of net retail sales and commercial revenue and immaterial rounding.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) September 30, December 31, October 1, 2017 2016 2016 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 10,920 $ 32,483 $ 11,780 Inventories 61,952 51,885 59,398 Receivables 7,881 12,939 8,787 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 13,365 12,737 13,752 Total current assets 94,118 110,044 93,717 Property and equipment, net 76,718 74,924 71,984 Deferred tax assets 9,803 8,256 10,737 Other intangible assets, net 1,131 1,721 1,653 Other assets, net 2,571 4,650 4,806 Total Assets $ 184,341 $ 199,595 $ 182,897 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 16,855 $ 27,861 $ 26,242 Accrued expenses 13,055 15,897 11,918 Gift cards and customer deposits 27,584 37,070 27,094 Deferred revenue 1,768 2,029 2,030 Other current liabilities 88 - - Total current liabilities 59,350 82,857 67,284 Deferred rent 17,914 15,438 15,278 Deferred franchise revenue 504 565 603 Other liabilities 1,643 1,623 1,008 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, par value $0.01 per share 159 159 159 Additional paid-in capital 69,972 68,001 67,197 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (11,623 ) (12,727 ) (11,994 ) Retained earnings 46,422 43,679 43,362 Total stockholders' equity 104,930 99,112 98,724 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 184,341 $ 199,595 $ 182,897

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Selected Financial and Store Data (dollars in thousands, except square foot data) 13 Weeks 13 Weeks 39 Weeks 39 Weeks Ended Ended Ended Ended September 30, October 1, September 30, October 1, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Other financial data: Retail gross margin ($) (1) $ 35,636 $ 35,409 $ 109,873 $ 112,076 Retail gross margin (%) (1) 44.2 % 43.3 % 45.1 % 44.9 % Capital expenditures (2) $ 4,797 $ 6,331 $ 12,824 $ 18,213 Depreciation and amortization $ 4,201 $ 3,954 $ 12,084 $ 11,573 Store data (3): Number of company-owned retail locations at end of period North America 292 271 Europe 60 58 Asia 1 1 Total company-owned retail locations 353 330 Number of franchised stores at end of period 90 80 Company-owned store square footage at end of period (4) North America 723,486 730,283 Europe 82,117 85,416 Asia 1,750 1,750 Total square footage 807,353 817,449 Consolidated comparable sales change (5) North America (7.8 )% (1.6 )% (6.4 )% (2.0 )% Europe & Asia (5.2 )% (4.8 )% (2.4 )% (5.5 )% Consolidated (7.4 )% (2.2 )% (5.8 )% (2.6 )% Stores (6.9 )% (3.2 )% (5.8 )% (3.1 )% E-commerce (18.2 )% 25.2 % (4.9 )% 11.9 % Consolidated (7.4 )% (2.2 )% (5.8 )% (2.6 )%

(1) Retail gross margin represents net retail sales less retail cost of merchandise sold. Retail gross margin percentage represents retail gross margin divided by net retail sales. (2) Capital expenditures represents cash paid for property, equipment, software, other assets and other intangible assets. (3) Excludes e-commerce. North American stores are located in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In Europe, stores are located in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark. In Asia, the store is located in China. (4) Square footage for stores located in North America is leased square footage. Square footage for stores located in Europe and Asia is estimated selling square footage. (5) Comparable sales percentage changes are based on net retail sales and exclude the impact of foreign exchange. Stores are considered comparable beginning in their thirteenth full month of operation.

* Non-GAAP Financial Measures In this press release, the Company’s financial results are provided both in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and using certain non-GAAP financial measures. In particular, the Company provides historic income and income per diluted share adjusted to exclude certain costs and accounting adjustments, which are non-GAAP financial measures. These results are included as a complement to results provided in accordance with GAAP because management believes these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in the Company’s business and provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of the Company’s core operating results. These measures should not be considered a substitute for or superior to GAAP results.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income (1) (dollars in thousands, except per share data) 13 Weeks 13 Weeks 39 Weeks 39 Weeks Ended Ended Ended Ended September 30, October 1, September 30, October 1, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net income $ 1,442 $ 1,841 $ 2,673 $ 1,058 Foreign exchange (gains) losses (2) (7) (514 ) 87 (1,568 ) 19 Duty dispute (3) (7) 81 - 204 - China start-up costs (4) (7) - 212 - 937 Income tax charges (5) 13 - 218 136 Income tax impact (6) 46 (75 ) 142 (566 ) Adjusted net income $ 1,068 $ 2,065 $ 1,669 $ 1,584 13 Weeks 13 Weeks 39 Weeks 39 Weeks Ended Ended Ended Ended September 30, October 1, September 30, October 1, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Net income per diluted share $ 0.09 $ 0.11 $ 0.17 $ 0.07 Foreign exchange (gains) losses (2) (0.03 ) 0.01 (0.10 ) - Duty dispute (3) 0.01 - 0.01 - China start-up costs (4) - 0.01 - 0.06 Income tax charges (5) - - 0.01 0.01 Income tax impact (6) - - 0.01 (0.04 ) Adjusted net income per diluted share $ 0.07 $ 0.13 $ 0.10 $ 0.10