Wild Bird Centers - Misc Q & A

Over 25 Years of Success!

In 1985, George Petrides, Sr. followed his passion and opened the first Wild Bird Center store in Cabin John, MD, a suburb of Washington, D.C.  George's vision was to serve wild bird hobbyists with quality products and expert advice in an atmosphere where customers are treated like friends with warmth and respect; a place where everybody knows your name. "I looked forward every morning to going to work," relates George.

Twenty-eight years later, Wild Bird Centers of America, Inc. (WBCA) is a successful chain of stores offering a complete line of quality products designed to deliver a better backyard bird feeding experience. Continuing research and development assures our franchisees and their customers the best performing products in the industry.

The Wild Bird Centers' system of quality, performance and value-driven products, combined with expert advice and personal service, exists in every neighborhood Wild Bird Center store today. WBCA is recognized as an industry leader with years of experience, achievement and innovation.

Opportunity Knocks!

Small business drives the economy but how do you drive a small business? Successful businesses are built on a multitude of factors. Location, management, store design, layout, product development, marketing and advertising, branding, loyalty programs, technology and much more are critical to the success of any retail business.

The "WBCA System" provides expertise and experience in all critical areas of business operations while you focus on another key to successsales. While you manage the day-to-day operation of your franchise, WBCA is your support staff. We are with you from the beginning and every day to make your business a success.

Wild Bird Centers combines resources and experience to develop systems and evolve products and programs to constantly maintain your edge in the market.

Ambiance!

Atmosphere does not happen by accident! WBCA has created the most inviting, warm and handsome trade dress in the industry. Natural cedar and custom wood fixtures, along with our trademark river rock entrance and complementary color theme, echoes the elements of the backyard while setting the stage for sales.

Wild Bird Centers' trade dress is designed to provide a customized fit and finish to each store. This spectacular look is low-cost and does not require extensive construction. Our trade dress and store fixture program is functional and versatile, giving each franchisee the ability to maximize their store's visual impact.

The Leading Brand!

Wild Bird Centers' branded products support your business long after the sale is over. Our exclusive private label line of bird seed, suet, feeders, nest boxes, seed cakes and binoculars brings your identity home with your customers. Our primary product, bird seed, is the top tier in the business and is supported by extraordinary brand identification.

Wild Bird Centers has raised packaging to a new level. Our exclusive seed blends feature the art of Charley Harper, providing the most unique and consumer recognizable brand in bird feeding. The brand look is also represented on feeders, nest boxes and suet and is reinforced in marketing and advertising from gift cards to signage.

Branding makes your Wild Bird Center a household name!

The power of the Wild Bird Center brand is on every bag of bird seed you sell, constantly reminding customers that your store is the place for bird feeding supplies. Wild Bird Center blends are formulated with the latest scientific and consumer research to provide the best backyard bird feeding experience possible. WBCA bird seed blends and premium single grains are designed to attract a wide variety of birds, be more attractive to specific species or meet a specific customer need.

Extracted images from Charley Harper art work adorn a wide variety of Wild Bird Center products. Our suet utilizes unique candy wrapper packaging for no-mess handling and all-season; high-performance formulas bring your customers a better backyard bird feeding experience. Our wide range of feeders fills every customer's needs. Traditional Cedar provides quality construction, high performance and durability in a time-tested design.

Green roofs highlight our "Fashion Cedar" line. These beautiful feeders add color and interest to any backyard feeding station.

Going Green is the most durable and easy-care feeder line in the industry. Constructed from recycled milk jugs, Going Green feeders serve the environment while serving your birds.

These products are a sample showcase of what is sold in our stores every day. WBCA continually evaluates and evolves key products to increase your sales volume.

If you invite them

They will come . . . and WBCA's Marketing & Advertising Department provides the tools, programs and support to bring customers to your door and keep them coming back.

The power of the Wild Bird Center brand is supported by a wide and diverse 'tool-kit' to meet the needs of our franchisees. Loyalty programs work in conjunction with newsletters, postcards and electronic marketing to bring in new customers while retaining loyal clientele.

Coordinated marketing campaigns keep your store looking fresh and inspire customers to buy. On-demand postcards, electronic media and custom advertising empower our franchisees to fill every need, every day to drive their business and bottom line."

The Path to Ownership

Wild Bird Centers of America's reputation and growth are directly determined by the franchisees that represent us every day in their communities. The investment you make in your future is extremely important to both you and the Wild Bird Centers. As such, we carefully select candidates we determine have the abilities, drive, resources and commitment to work within our system and have the greatest potential to make their franchise a success. Our recruiting process gives both of us time to evaluate, analyze and consolidate information to ensure if we are a good fit.

Your first steps

Complete and return the enclosed Candidate Application. This helps us determine your strengths, goals and skills and how they fit the Wild Bird Center program.

Review the Demographic and Disclosure Documents. Once your Application is received and approved, WBCA will send you our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) covering all aspects of the WBCA system and business operations. This federally regulated document gives you all the tools necessary to fully evaluate the Wild Bird Centers franchise system.

Schedule Your Discovery Day. A crucial part of the process, this important day gives all parties the opportunity to meet face-to-face. This is the time to review in-depth details of the WBCA system and an opportunity to interview each other.

Upon successful completion of the evaluation and approval process, a Franchise Agreement is signed and the process of opening your Wild Bird Center franchise moves to the next stage preparing to open!