Bird watching has become one of the most popular American hobbies, with estimates of more than 50 million people enjoying the activity each year.

It has strong ties to gardening, as well. According to the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, 85 percent of people who garden also consider themselves birding enthusiasts.

But for many garden centers, this category can be a challenge. Between picking the right products for customers, merchandising it properly and having knowledgeable staff on hand, it can be difficult to make this a profitable venture.

Here, we’ll explore tips for enhancing sales in this category, as well as the trends and forecasts for 2010.

Setting Yourself Apart

With all sizes of retailers selling bird food and accessories, including big box stores, pet stores and even grocery chains and drug stores, how is an independent supposed to compete? The same way it does with other categories: unique product selection that can’t be price-compared elsewhere and knowledgeable employees.

“Stick with well-known quality brands – brands that your customers cannot find in the big box stores,” says Rick Swalwell, director of marketing communications at WoodLink, a bird feeder manufacturer. “There will always be somebody who is willing to sell for less. Focus on how much your customers are willing to pay for your quality, expertise and hands-on customer service.” 

Another way to create a customer experience is through bold, beautiful birding signage that educates and attracts. Betsy Puckett, president of Droll Yankees, says customers react to visuals of birds feeding. “We’ve had a lot of success with stores having our signage, the bird food and feeders all in a line,” she says. “Our signage is species specific, and we’re actually interesting the consumer in the bird they want to bring to their yard.”

Most of all, know your regional birds and migration schedules, and be a problem-solver for customers, says Christie Gescheider, co-owner of Moana Nursery in Reno, Nev.. A knowledgeable, enthusiastic team member can go a long way toward building sales in the category.

2010 Forecasts

In our State of the Industry survey, 40 percent of retailers said the birding category was flat for them in 2009. About 28 percent saw an uptick of some kind in sales, while 32 percent of the respondents saw a decrease.

Several manufacturers, too, said their sales were off in 2009. However, many are seeing an increase in sales and interest in the category for this year. “I think 2010 has started off fantastic,” Puckett says of Droll Yankees sales. “I’m very optimistic that we turned the corner early last year in the birding category, and we’re set for a very positive year.”

WoodLink’s sales were up in 2009 and Swalwell says sales are expected to be up again in 2010, thanks to some new product introductions.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., too, is looking at growing its position in the bird food market with the addition of Scotts branded premium food at Home Depot and Lowe’s in 2010, along with expanded distribution at Walmart. It also offers the Scotts branded Wild Bird Food for independent garden centers. “Consumer purchases of our value-added bird food increased by 65 percent,” noted CEO Jim Hagedorn during a first quarter status report with shareholders. “I’ve got more confidence than ever that we can, in fact, continue to evolve this commodity category to have more of a value-added focus, just like we did with our growing media business.”

Scotts spokeswoman Keri Butler says the “staycation” aspect of 2009 could be some of the reason for such strong activity in the birding category. “We’re watching to see if that activity will be replicated this year,” she adds.

Elaine Cole, president of Cole’s Wild Bird, a bird food manufacturer, also sees the economy as a factor in the category’s steady growth. “We’ve had significant growth over the last four years with the last two being stellar,” she says. “It has a lot to do with birding doing well during recession years. People need entertainment at home. They will spend a little more on feeders, houses and seed because they’re home more to watch it.”

Along with the typical spring season rush, she identifies Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and winter holidays as peak sales times for gifting bird feeders and food.

Joe DiDiminica of Dee’s Nursery in Oceanside, N.Y., says the category has sold like crazy for him.

“It’s a dynamite category for me, it’s doing phenomenal,” he says. “Every two weeks I’m getting a couple of skids of reorders for the whole category; bird seed in general is selling like hotcakes.
“The best part about it is it’s all year. That’s one thing I’d stress; it’s constant sales in the dead of winter. At least you have some movement in the store.”