According to the 2016 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation preliminary report, around 81 million people feed the birds and watch wildlife in their backyards. Moreover, $7.6 billion is spent annually on bird feeding and watching wildlife. $5 billion is spent annually on bird seed & wildlife food and $960 million on bird feeders, bird baths and nesting boxes. People have also spent $1.8 billion annually on binoculars and spotting scopes. All these curious facts shine light on the fact that human beings love nature, wild birds and are passionate about it. Wild Birds Unlimited is a specialty retail franchise catering these nature lovers, offering a reliable source for nature information, as well as quality products.
Each Wild Bird Unlimited stores functions as a true community resource, providing valuable knowledge about the bird feeding hobby and an exceptional shopping experience. The franchise helps customers turn their yards into a bird feeding habitat that not only brings song and color to their lives, but also provide benefits to the wild birds and the environment.
Established by a Real Naturalist
Jim Carpenter, Founder and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited guides the franchise and retail stores to deliver an exceptional customer experience with expert advice and top quality products. Jim is relentless in ensuring that Wild Birds Unlimited is more than a specialty retail shop. He brings joy into the customer’s lives by sharing his passion for birds and knowledge about the hobby of backyard bird feeding.
He recently wrote and published The Joy of Bird Feeding, providing step-by-step advice to get results in any bird feeding situation. The Joy of Bird Feeding is the ultimate reference for backyard bird watchers and bird feeding enthusiasts. It offers practical tips and solutions to attracting and identifying birds, offering the best foods for the birds you want to see and how to deter unwanted guests from feeding stations. This essential guide contains more than 800 photos and a guide to 180 feeder birds. Bird feeding is an easy, inexpensive hobby that everyone can enjoy in their backyard. Bird feeding is more than a hobby; it’s a way to connect with the outdoors and help the natural environment. Birds are essential to a healthy eco-system, and birds’ population growth, decline and migration are key indicators of nature’s balance.
Being intensely involved in the hobby, Jim and his team originated many beautiful and effective designs in bird feeders, houses, bird foods and pole- mounting hardware. His signature bird food, Jim’s Birdacious Bark Butter, has attracted more than 140 different bird species. He has served on or is currently a member of the boards of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Indiana Nature Conservancy.
Products Designed by Experts
Customers prefer Wild Birds Unlimited, because its products are designed by the experts to meet the relevant needs of the birds. Jim Carpenter started all this in 1990, when he set out to create the perfect bird feeder. Jim used his expertise of observing bird behavior and his understanding of bird feeding to design the WBU Classic Feeder. In 1992, the Classic Hopper Bird Feeder attained a patent. Moreover, in 2004, Wild Birds Unlimited received a three dimensional trademark on the Classic and Classic Too Hopper Bird Feeders. The franchise continues to use that same level of expert knowledge in designing a wide range of WBU-branded products, many with a lifetime guarantee.
Partners in Supporting Birds and Nature
Wild Birds Unlimited is deeply committed to educating the public about the importance of understanding our environment and preserving our natural wildlife habitats. They have developed many partnerships with organizations that support their core mission of bringing people and nature together, such as The Cornell lab of Ornithology, Bird Studies Canada and The National Audubon Society.
Many of these partnerships offer people the opportunity to actively participate in conservation efforts, to learn more about bird watching, bird feeding and nature appreciation, and to play a role in scientific research designed to protect the environment from harmful changes. Wild Birds Unlimited feels it is very important to support these efforts and to continually raise awareness of environmental preservation so that generations to come can experience and appreciate the marvels that nature holds for us all.
A Proud Testimonial
According to Wild Bird’s franchisees, interacting with customers is one of the most rewarding aspects of owning a Wild Birds Unlimited store. WBU make a difference in its customer’s lives by helping connect them with birds and nature. But what due the customers think of the store owners?
“Brandon and Trish Lohman are exceptional. I always enjoyed shopping these two stores before (they purchased them), more so now due to the energetic, appreciative and knowledge of the work crew. My daughter and I normally shop the Virginia Beach store. I will never forget how we were in Chesapeake one Saturday, Brandon saw us coming from our van (can’t miss it, we have a wheelchair lift) he met us outside to offer assistance, then opened the door for us to come inside. We were amused when Brandon phoned his wife, Trish at the Virginia Beach store to tell her, “Guess who I have over here with us”? So great to feel loved. Best of all, they never forget a shoppers face.” – Cheryl Berryhill Hayes
Brandon and Trish Lohman are owners of the Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia locations
Source: The 10 Best Franchise to Open in 2018
