Wild Birds Unlimited vs Pet Depot Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Wild Birds Unlimited vs Pet Depot including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Depot Franchise
Investment $170,382 - $281,606$110,000 - $550,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$35,000
Royalty Fee 4%5%
Advertising Fee 1%2%
Year Founded 19811990
Year Franchised 19832001
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Depot Franchise
Experience

* Enthusiastic about nature and backyard bird feeding * Interested in owning your own business and working for yourself * Willing to work with others who share the same interests * Committed to building a Business Enterprise *Committed to delivering the ultimate WBU customer experience *Committed to following WBU 'Best Practices' to operate your own WBU store *Comfortable with the needs associated with running a business

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Financing Options

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Depot Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/Yes-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Depot Franchise
Training On-The-Job Training: 40 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours Additional Training: Ongoing -
Support Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform -
Marketing Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app -
Operations 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Depot Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion Yes-
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Wild Birds Unlimited

Jim Carpenter opened the first Wild Birds Unlimited store in Indianapolis in 1981. In 1983 he began franchising. The privately owned company is based in Carmel, Indiana. Each store sells bird-feeding and bird-watching supplies, including birdhouses, feeders, food and binoculars.
We support you all the way:
  • Rated #1 or #2 in Retail for Franchisee Satisfaction for 14 years
  • Rated in Top 10 Overall for Franchisee Satisfaction for more than 6 years
  • Proven, 35+ year business model
  • Our pre-opening support covers business planning, site selection, lease negotiations, classroom and in-store training, store design and layout
  • Our on-going support includes marketing, merchandising and purchasing, store operations, nature and hobby education, financial and information systems
  • Strong customer loyalty by providing an exceptional customer experience and the highest quality bird food and bird feeding products in the industry
  • Many US and Canadian markets are still available for development
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a  Wild Birds Unlimited Store is from $170,382 to $281,606 for a new franchisee ($145,382 to $256,606 for an existing franchisee who is purchasing an additional Wild Birds Unlimited franchise). This includes an amount of $52,860 - $54,260 that must be paid to the franchisor by a new franchisee (or $27,860 - $29,260 by any existing franchisee).
Veteran Incentives  15% off franchise fee
   ""     "Top    "Entrepreneur
In Franchise Business Reviews' Top 200.
#8 in Gator's Top franchises.
#137 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#186 in Franchise 500 for 2021.









About Pet Depot

In 1991 the first Pet Depot opened in Santa Monica, Ca.

Named Katie’s PET DEPOT after the founder’s daughter, the store specialized in premium pet foods, pet grooming and quality supplies for all kinds of companion animals. Customers loved the expert pet advice and personal caring service, so the store grew quickly to one of the best places to shop for pet supplies. In fact in 1992, Katie’s was crowned "L.A.’s Best Pet Shop” by Los Angeles Magazine, and was bestowed several more recognitions over the years by local news channels as the "in” place for pets and their owners to shop.

Winning customer loyalty was easy, as we really do care about your pets and their health.

In 1992 Katie’s added a second location in Westwood, then acquired the Mar Vista location in 1994 and grew again by opening the large format store in West Los Angeles in 1997.

The PET DEPOT format was proof that a quality independent pet retailer could compete and grow in a big box world. In fact, most of our customers preferred the personal service at Katie’s PET DEPOT over the impersonal clerks at the larger stores in the area.

To ensure that each PET DEPOT location maintains the personal touch for every customer, we decided to franchise. This allows us to maintain the best relationships with you, while providing the competitive pricing of a larger chain.

At PET DEPOT we believe in pride of ownership, so we incorporate the name of individual franchise owners into our logo. Each of these individual owners receives extensive training and has pets of their own, so they can provide the same expert advice and service of our original PET DEPOT stores. We know that you will appreciate shopping at a locally owned business for your pets needs and the expert pet advice each owner will give you.

PET DEPOT Veterinary Group was founded in 2009 in the Los Angeles area as a full-service veterinary hospital. The community had been shopping at PET DEPOT stores for quality pet food and supplies since 1991. Providing quality healthcare to pets was the next step in our dedication to the well-being of animals. Our company has grown to over 30 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada (and counting), with hybrid retail/hospital locations across eight U.S. states.

PET DEPOT is growing and offers you an exciting opportunity to join our successful retail program. Currently, our franchises are available in most states in North America, Canada, and Mexico.

PET DEPOT offers you a choice of franchising options:

• AREA DEVELOPER: this position affords you exclusive rights to develop PET DEPOT store locations over a specific geographic area

• INDIVIDUAL FRANCHISEES: for those who’d like to own their own single store.

Whichever franchising option you choose, now is the time to join with other PET DEPOT owners in the growing retail pet industry.