Risks Related to Our Business  Availability of Information  ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS  2013 FORM 10-K BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC.  6  We have developed licensing and strategic relationships with some of  the leading retail and cultural organizations. We plan to continue to  add partnerships with companies that have strong, family-oriented  brands and provide us with attractive marketing and merchandising  opportunities. These relationships for specific products are generally  reflected in contractual arrangements for limited terms that are  terminable by either party upon specified notice. Specifically, we  have key strategic relationships with select companies in which we  feature their brands on products sold in our stores, including Disney ® ,  Hasbro, Sanrio ® , Star Wars, and major professional and collegiate  sports along with other culturally relevant brands. Additionally, we  have developed promotional arrangements with select organizations. Our arrangements with Major League Baseball teams, including the  Chicago Cubs ® , St. Louis Cardinals ™   and Pittsburg Pirates ®   have  featured stuffed animal giveaways at each club’s ballpark on a day  when our brand is highly promoted within the stadium. In 2013,  we partnered with McDonald’s ®   for the fifth time to feature limited  edition, collectible mini Build-A-Bear Workshop animals in Happy  Meals ®  . We also have had arrangements featuring product sampling,  cross promotions and shared media with companies such as Dairy  Queen in North America and Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-ups. A decline in general global economic conditions could lead to  disproportionately reduced consumer demand for our products,  which represent relatively discretionary spending, and have an  adverse effect on our liquidity and profitability.  Since purchases of our merchandise are dependent upon  discretionary spending by our guests, our financial performance  is sensitive to changes in overall economic conditions that affect  consumer spending. Consumer spending habits are affected by,  among other things, prevailing economic conditions, levels of  employment, salaries and wage rates, consumer confidence and  consumer perception of economic conditions. A continued slowdown  in the United States, Canadian or European economies or uncertainty  as to the economic outlook could reduce discretionary spending or  cause a shift in consumer discretionary spending to other products.  Any of these factors would likely result in lower net retail sales and  could also result in excess inventories, which could, in turn, lead  to increased merchandise markdowns and related costs associated  with higher levels of inventory and adversely affect our liquidity and  profitability. For example, for fiscal 2008 through 2010 and again in  2012, we attributed a portion of our decline in comparable store sales  to the slower economy in the United States and Europe.  We make certain filings with the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the “SEC”), including our Annual Report on Form 10-K,  Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and  all amendments and exhibits to those reports, available free of charge  in the Investor Relations section of our corporate website, http:// ir.buildabear.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are  filed with the SEC. The filings are also available through the SEC at  the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington,  D.C. 20549 or by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. Also, these filings are  available on the internet at http://www.sec.gov. Our Annual Reports  to shareholders, press releases and investor updates are also available  on our website, free of charge, in the Investor Relations section or by  writing to the Investor Relations department at World Bearquarters,  1954 Innerbelt Business Center Dr., St. Louis, MO 63114.  A decrease in the customer traffic generated by the shopping malls  in which we are located, which we depend upon to attract guests  to our stores, could adversely affect our financial condition and  profitability.  We operate in a changing environment that involves numerous known  and unknown risks and uncertainties that could materially affect our  operations. The risks, uncertainties and other factors set forth below  may cause our actual results, performances or achievements to be  materially different from those expressed or implied by our forward- looking statements. If any of these risks or events occur, our business,  financial condition or results of operations may be adversely affected.  While we invest heavily in integrated marketing efforts and believe  we are more of a destination location than traditional retailers, we  rely to a great extent on customer traffic in the malls in which our  stores are located. In order to generate guest traffic, we generally  attempt to locate our stores in prominent locations within high  traffic shopping malls. We rely on the ability of the malls’ anchor  tenants, generally large department stores, and on the continuing  popularity of malls as shopping destinations. We cannot control the  development of new shopping malls, the addition or loss of anchors  and co-tenants, the availability or cost of appropriate locations within  existing or new shopping malls or the desirability, safety or success  of shopping malls. In addition, customer mall traffic may be reduced  due to a loss of consumer confidence because of the economy,  terrorism or war. If we are unable to generate sufficient guest traffic,  our sales and results of operations will be harmed. A significant  decrease in shopping mall traffic could have a material adverse effect  on our financial condition and profitability. For example, we have  experienced flat or declining transactions at comparable locations for  the last three years.