Buttons the Snowman and Tufted Titmouse

BY: CASSIDY MCALOON |SPONSORED: 1851 Franchise Magazine

The brand’s holiday gift sales have the potential to determine future growth and product development initiatives.

Holiday shopping season is in full swing. Through the rest of the year, malls will be packed and online shopping carts will be full with the usual selection of toys and technological devices that typically fly off store shelves. But if you’re looking to take your gift giving abilities to the next level, there’s another popular destination for presents.

Wild Birds Unlimited offers a selection of unique and meaningful bird feeding hobby-related gifts. The leading franchise brand has been connecting people with nature for more than 30 years, and with 300 plus locations across the country, it’s clear that it’s successfully realizing its mission. The brand’s stores—and its local owners—are expertly trained to match people with the best bird seed and feeders for their individual backyards. And during the holiday season, Wild Birds Unlimited sells a line of limited edition products.

Whether you’re shopping for long time bird feeding enthusiasts or someone who’s new to the hobby, the brand’s line of holiday items is as functional as it is fun. Not all birds fly south for the winter—in fact, some of the most lyrical and colorful birds stay in the same place year-round. But in order to stay warm during the frigid winter months, they’re in need of food, water and protection. That means Christmas is an ideal time to gift someone with Wild Birds Unlimited’s superior products and spark their interest in backyard bird feeding.

“For our franchise owners, promoting the possibility of giving the gift of backyard bird feeding during the holiday season is an easy sell, especially with our ever-changing bird food characters. Birds coming to your feeders to nibble on these unique seed characters are nature’s Holiday card,” said Amy Moore, Director of Retail Operations for Wild Birds Unlimited. “Based on feedback from our customers, store owners and internal metrics, we’re able to keep this holiday category fresh each and every year by adding new designs to enhance our offering. Dash, Jumpy, Preston and Buttons are just a few of the characters in this year’s lineup.”

Wild Birds Unlimited’s holiday collection is beneficial to both consumers and franchisees. For the brand’s loyal customers, the products add a festive touch to their passion and hobby. Wild Birds Unlimited’s unrivaled commitment to creating quality bird seed and feeders also helps nature enthusiasts better care for birds in the cold weather.

For Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees, on the other hand, holiday gift purchases mean more than a bigger bottom line. They ultimately have the potential to set the tone for sales for the upcoming year. That in turn furthers the brand’s growth efforts and provides insightful data for future product development. At the end of the day, Wild Birds Unlimited’s local owners want to provide their customers with the products that they prefer.

“Our pre-wraps are the single-most important component of our holiday sales period. Not only do they generate sales for the register for the rest of the season, but the food categories they represent grow throughout the following year,” said Kathy Haigh, one of Wild Birds Unlimited’s successful franchisees based in Billings, Montana. “We’re sure to tell all of our customers that these products make perfect gifts for teachers, hostesses and anyone who already enjoys feeding birds.”