Wild Birds Unlimited is a franchise business that specializes in products and solutions to attract and care for backyard birds. The company was founded in 1981 and has grown to over 300 locations across the United States and Canada.
History
Wild Birds Unlimited was founded in 1981 by Jim Carpenter in Indianapolis, Indiana. Carpenter was an avid birdwatcher who became frustrated with the limited selection of bird feeding products available in local stores. He opened the first Wild Birds Unlimited store in his home state of Indiana to provide a wider variety of high-quality bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths, bird seed, and other products specifically for backyard birding enthusiasts.
The company began franchising in 1983 and expanded across the Midwest and East Coast throughout the 1980s and 1990s. By the early 2000s, Wild Birds Unlimited had over 100 franchise locations. The company continued steady growth, reaching 200 stores by 2010 and 300 stores by 2020. Today, Wild Birds Unlimited has franchise locations in 49 U.S. states and 7 Canadian provinces.
Current Number of Locations
As of October 2022, there are 312 Wild Birds Unlimited locations in the United States and Canada. This includes:
- 274 locations in the United States
- 38 locations in Canada
The states with the most Wild Birds Unlimited franchises are:
- California – 32 locations
- Florida – 17 locations
- Texas – 16 locations
- New York – 13 locations
- Michigan – 12 locations
Some other key details on the number of current Wild Birds Unlimited stores:
- There is at least 1 Wild Birds Unlimited store in every U.S. state except Hawaii.
- The Canadian provinces with the most locations are Ontario (18 stores) and British Columbia (8 stores).
- There are no Wild Birds Unlimited locations currently outside of the U.S. and Canada.
- Texas, California, and Florida combined have roughly 25% of all Wild Birds Unlimited stores.
Growth Trends
The number of Wild Birds Unlimited locations has seen consistent, steady growth over the company’s 40+ year history. Some key trends:
- In the 1980s, the number of stores grew from 1 to over 100 stores.
- In the 1990s and 2000s, growth continued at a pace of about 10-20 new stores per year.
- The most growth came between 2010 to 2020, when the company added around 100 more franchise locations.
- Over the past 5 years, growth has been slower but steady, with around 10-15 new stores added per year.
Barring any dramatic shifts in the franchise industry or birding trends, most analysts expect Wild Birds Unlimited will continue growing at a careful, sustainable rate by adding 5-15 new franchise locations per year. This puts them on pace to reach between 325 to 350 total stores by 2025. However, growth could accelerate if birdwatching and backyard bird feeding continue to gain popularity.
Revenue and Franchise Fees
As a private company, Wild Birds Unlimited does not disclose its total revenue or systemwide sales. However, we can estimate revenue based on the number of stores and average sales per store:
- The average Wild Birds Unlimited store generates between $250,000 to $500,000 in annual sales.
- With over 300 stores, total estimated annual revenue for the company is roughly $100 million.
Wild Birds Unlimited also collects franchise fees from new store owners:
- The initial franchise fee is $18,500.
- Ongoing monthly royalties are 6% of gross sales.
So for 300 stores, they likely collected over $5 million in franchise fees last year. As they continue expanding, franchise fee revenue will also grow accordingly.
Challenges to Growth
Some potential challenges that could limit Wild Birds Unlimited’s future growth include:
- Market saturation – many prime geographic markets already have a Wild Birds Unlimited store.
- Increased competition from big box stores like Home Depot and Walmart expanding bird product offerings.
- A decline in the popularity of backyard birdwatching as a hobby.
- Rising real estate and inventory costs making it more expensive to open new locations.
However, the company has several strengths that should allow it to maintain moderate expansion despite these headwinds:
- Strong brand reputation among birding enthusiasts.
- Proven successful franchise model.
- Customers desire the specialty experience and products.
- Passionate owner-operators who are invested in birding.
Conclusion
Wild Birds Unlimited has grown from a single backyard birdfeeding store in 1981 to 300+ franchises across the U.S. and Canada today. The company has expanded by carefully opening 5-20 new stores per year, finding success by pairing a profitable franchise model with birdwatching enthusiasts’ desire for specialty bird products. There is likely still room for moderate but steady growth in the future. However, saturation and competition will make rapid expansion difficult. Still, Wild Birds Unlimited’s dedicated community and successful business model should allow the company to continue flourishing in the backyard bird Supplies niche.
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