Yesterday, we posted a story about Build-a-Bear Workshop and the fact that they were going to stop selling Zhu Zhu Pets in their stores. Build-A-Bear Workshop President John Haugh made a statement regarding Zhu Zhu Pets that troubled Russell Hornsby, CEO of Cepia LLC.

Here is his response:

We were troubled to learn of the statements made by Build-A-Bear Workshop President John Haugh to investors on Thursday about the sales of ZhuZhu™ Pets at their stores.We believe the sales performance ZhuZhu Pets experienced at Build-A-Bear Workshop is wholly unrelated to the overall health of ZhuZhu Pets as a brand and is more a reflection of ongoing issues that Build-A-Bear is facing.

Sales of ZhuZhu Pets continue to perform exceptionally well globally at all of the major toy retailers. ZhuZhu Pets are sold in 67 countries and the brand is currently the No. 1 plush toy brand in the world according to industry reporting sources such as the NPD Group.

The comments by Build-A-Bear Workshop clearly are in conflict with these facts, and we are disappointed they chose to link their financial performance with ZhuZhu Pets.

About ZhuZhu Pets™

ZhuZhu Pets are innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own play sets. ZhuZhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Add-on accessories can be purchased to build an ever-evolving habitat for your pet to play in and explore. ZhuZhu Pets were named the 2009 Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association. Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included), both ZhuZhu Pets and Kung Zhu are suitable for ages 4 and up. For more information, please visit www.zhuzhupets.com.

About Cepia LLC

Headquartered in St Louis, Mo., Cepia LLC is a privately held company that manufactures toys and games for children of all ages. The company was founded on the premise that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Ingenuity, creativity, playfulness, and passion are the heart of Cepia and everything it creates. ZhuZhu Pets has become an international sensation by combining realistic interaction with a fun, imaginative, interactive play design. ZhuZhu Pets, their Zhu-niverse of accessories, and other toys from Cepia LLC are sold globally through national chain retail outlets and independent toy stores. Cepia’s toy building enterprises include: Glo-e, a light-up plush bear, Hydro Max, a motorized water blaster, Sky Raptors, and their newest venture Kung Zhu. For more information, please visit www.cepiallc.com.