Strong Business Momentum Puts Wild Birds Unlimited on Pace to Double Growth from 2015 to 2016

For over 30 years, Wild Birds Unlimited has been helping people connect with the outside world at a level that no other brand has been able to beat. It’s consistently rolling out superior bird seed and other backyard bird feeding products while at the same time expanding to new areas of the country. That trend of opening up for business in new markets has been steadily increasing year after year—and 2016 is no exception.

So far this year, Wild Birds Unlimited has opened 14 new franchises. The brand has also signed 10 agreements with franchisees, with commitments in place for five more agreements to be signed in the near future. That puts Wild Birds Unlimited on pace to meet or exceed its goal of adding 20 new locations to its system by the end of the year. It also marks an impressive increase from last year—after experiencing a 50 percent increase in franchise development activity last year, the brand is now expected to see a jump of an additional 25 percent.

“A lot of the success that we’re having in franchise development has to do with our success in operations. If our franchise system is filled with people who are happy and are consistently seeing strong growth and unit economics, then other entrepreneurs will want to be involved,” said Paul Pickett, chief development officer for Wild Birds Unlimited. “That success is something that we share with our prospective owners right off the bat—we’re unique in that we have our candidates talk to current franchisees early on in our franchise development process.”

Introducing prospective business owners to current franchisees isn’t the only thing that makes Wild Birds Unlimited’s franchise development process unique. The brand is also making it a priority to thoroughly vet initial candidates. That means Wild Birds Unlimited is doing more leg work up front and spending more time with potential owners to make sure they’re a good match for the brand.

“Our development efforts are incredibly strategic—it’s all about growing with the right franchisees. Beyond financial requirements, Wild Birds Unlimited has a specific culture that comes in to play, and we want to make sure that all of our owners are on the same page with us before signing on the dotted line,” Pickett said.

As the brand expands and opens up more stores, Wild Birds Unlimited will continue to be highly selective in choosing the people it goes into business with. That then will allow the brand to further its reputation as an industry leader, and generate more press and brand awareness.

“We’re generating more buzz in the marketplace than we ever have before. There are just more people out there who know what the Wild Birds Unlimited brand is really all about,” said Pickett. “Our success also had to do with the fact that we’re different from other businesses. We’re built around a hobby that relaxes people and allows them to take a much needed break from the insanity that we’re bombarded with on a daily basis. That’s one of the biggest benefits we bring to the table for both our business owners and customers.”