By Randy Tucker
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Call it experiential retailing.

The owners of Build-A-Bear Workshop, which will open a second location today in Greater Cincinnati at Florence Mall, think that customer satisfaction stems not only from the quality of the products they sell but the quality of the buying experience.

At Build-A-Bear Workshop, visitors - or "Guest Bear Builders'' - create their own customized stuffed animals by stuffing, stitching, fluffing and naming them through a series of bear-making stations.

By involving customers in the process, shopping for stuffed bears becomes an interactive and entertaining experience rather than a chore or obligation to satisfy the wants of a demanding child or loved one.

Build-A-Bear, which also sells outfits and accessories for stuffed animals, has basically torn a page from the playbook of many mall developers who increasingly are using entertainment to drive sales.

By boiling that strategy down to a store-sized format, Build-A-Bear has helped redefine the concept of mall-based entertainment and built a strong following in the toy industry.

Remke launches cross-promotion

Remke Markets has launched a cross-promotional initiative with 20 Northern Kentucky businesses.

In addition to extra savings on groceries, Remke's preferred customer cardholders can now use the savings card for discounts at such businesses as Art's Rental and Snappy Tomato Pizza, and cultural and entertainment attractions.

"Northern Kentucky businesses appreciate the relationship Remke Markets has with its customers," Pat Iasillo, marketing director for Remke Markets, said. "Because of that relationship, many businesses are willing to extend generous discounts and special programs to Remke customers."

Wallet brochures with all the business partner offers are available at all Remke Markets stores.

'Deck the Walls' adds a trophy

Deck The Walls at Kenwood Towne Centre has been named to Decor Magazine's 2003 Top 100 Art & Framing Retailers list, published in the most recent issue.

"It's a great honor to be named to this list since it represents the best of the best in the art and framing industry," owner Ken Rubin said.

Deck The Walls was among a group of 229 finalists selected from 34,000 art galleries and frame shops across the United States and Canada.

The 100 winners were selected based on criteria such as aesthetics, design, marketing, profitability and customer service.

E-mail rtucker@enquirer.com.