(Published in Nov. 2004)

Flying South
Migrate into your community to increase sales
By Scott and Ann Springer

As birds fly south for the winter, you can't let your sales go with them. As a retailer, you should take advantage of migratory bird-watching events in your community to keep your sales soaring throughout the four seasons.

In addition, you should stay well informed about local birding so you can pass on information of migratory patterns to your customers. As your customers' interest is piqued, they will search out birds—and, consequently, birding products—to help draw these birds to their yards.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane
Amy Hooper, editor of Wildbird Magazine, recommends you seek out local clubs and organizations to learn what types of birds are migrating through your neck of the woods.

"Hundreds of species migrate through North America during the spring and fall," Hooper says. While it varies by region, birdwatchers may find their backyards play host to hummingbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, thrushes and woodwarblers, Hooper says.

Some areas of the country may have larger migratory bird populations than others. "They tend to concentrate along the north-south Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic flyways—along coastlines or mountain ridges," Hooper says. "Some groups and species migrate within North America, moving from high-elevation areas to low-elevation areas and vice versa."

Retailers who are located along a flyway should be aware of their surroundings and fly like the wind to cash in. "Retailers can time their birding promotions and in-store presentations to occur before and during the migrations," Hooper says.

Promotion Ideas
Deciding appropriate promotions is often a question of geography. For example, Jim Eschenheimer, director of marketing for D&D Commodities Ltd., in Stephen, Minn., says a retailer in east of Denver may want to promote food for larger birds during the winter months. "As it gets colder, you would want to promote fruits and berries and things that may be hard for them to find," he says.

Another idea is matching promotional calendars to migratory patterns. "Those promotions need to be keyed to the time of year and to the bird that is involved," Eschenheimer says.

Birdwatching basics make great promotional sale items. "Feeders, houses, or food are the best items to use for promotions because that is what people are interested in most. These will drive them into the store to purchase something," Eschenheimer says.

Hooper suggests two essentials for birdwatching: a binocular and a field guide. "Almost every birder observes a bird through magnifying optics and identifies the species with a book that points out different field marks," she says.

There are many varieties of birds and birders and you must offer promotions to suit their needs. "Backyard birders need a feeder and a water feature like a birdbath, a fountain, or a mister," Hooper says.

Listers, the birders who travel often and pursue new species to add to their life lists, have different products on their wish lists. "Typically they purchase spotting scopes and a myriad of products that make their time in the field more comfortable," Hooper says.

Retailers can help consumers have more interest in birding through creative marketing and education. "Hang a bird mobile above the products and offer a free flier that labels avian body parts and doubles as a child's coloring page," Hooper says.

Endcaps can be geared toward seasonal flights to help promote sales also. Hooper suggests using endcaps to highlight local species that are endangered, threatened or particularly interesting.

Get Your Name into the Community
The first step to success in wildbird products is being informed about the basics of birdwatching and migratory patterns of wild birds. The second step is making sure your staff knows the same. "Retailers can contact a local birding club or National Audubon Society chapter to see if it's interested in educating the store's staff about birding and local species," Hooper says.

Hooper recommends doubling the effort in a partnership with local birding groups. The group could print store coupons in its newsletter, and in return the group could make in-store presentations about backyard birding.

Rob Blackhurst, owner of Backyard Birds in Salt Lake City tries to stay in contact with local birding organizations to keep his customers up-to-date. "There are a lot of opportunities in our area already so we post excursions and other events that groups in the community sponsor," he says.

Blackhurst reaches out to grade schools and uses a local birding hotline to keep his calendar full. "It's our responsibility as small store owners to inform people about what is going on locally," Blackhurst says. "It keeps people coming back because you can develop a rapport, a trust, and a friendship with people."

Backyard Birds boasts a website with a newsletter to inform customers about changing seasons and special events. "When they come in we have information for them and it makes us a destination for information, as well as a stop for bird feed or other products," Blackhurst says.
Education in your community will help customers understand that while they enjoy the birds who call their yard home they also contribute to the ecosystem by hanging feeders. Birds receive an estimated 10 to 20 percent of their food from feeders, Eschenheimer says.

"When we keep them healthy they provide a lot to our environment beyond just being nice to look at," Eschenheimer says. "You are helping the environment by feeding and watching birds."

Scott and Ann Springer are frequent contributors to Pet Product News living in Southern California.