Wild Birds Unlimited vs Pet Supplies Plus Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Supplies Plus Franchise
Investment $170,382 - $281,606$436,600 - $1,312,700
Franchise Fee $30,000$49,900
Royalty Fee 4%2-3%
Advertising Fee 1%$3K/mo.
Year Founded 19811987
Year Franchised 19831990
Term Of Agreement 10 years5 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years5 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Supplies Plus 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

Our franchise owners are business savvy individuals who understand retail and are very service-oriented. We share our customers' belief that pets help people live better, happier lives. So we take pride in bringing the Pet Supplies Plus brand to more people and the pets who love them. Qualified individuals must have a net worth of at least $750,000 with a minimum of $150,000 to $250,000 in liquid, unencumbered assets. Cultural fit with our mission to be America's Favorite Neighborhood Pet Store

We look for individuals that are values oriented and have some of these following traits:

-Unwavering desire to succeed

-Aggressive pursuit of growing the business

-Great management skills

-Understanding of the benefits and obligations of a franchise relationship

-Successful record of accomplishments in business

-Appreciation for the overriding importance of customer engagement and great customer service


Financing Options

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

Training & Support

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Supplies Plus 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

Pet Supplies "Plus" stands behind its franchise partners with all of the support services programs you would expect from the nation's largest specialty pet supply retailer, including: *Real Estate & Site Selection assistance *Store Design & Layout *Store Manager / Employee training programs *Buying and Merchandising *Advertising and Marketing *POS hosting and Item File Maintenance *Publicity and Community Relations *On-going Operational Support

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)

Over 2/3 of our franchisees have grown their business by opening multiple Pet Supplies Plus locations


Expansion Plans

 
Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise
Pet Supplies Plus Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion YesNo
International Expansion YesNo

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 Supplies Plus

Pet Supplies Plus has been diversifying for more than 31 years, and is the biggest diversified claim to fame Pet Supply retailer in the country, with more than 285 stores in 23 states.

Pet Supplies Plus opened their first store in Redford, Michigan in 1988. We spearheaded the idea of bringing "grocery store style" retailing to the Pet Supply classification. As we have kept on becoming in the course of recent years, we have stayed consistent with our unique idea: To make perfect, alluring stores that offer pet proprietors extraordinary qualities, uncommon administration, and a fun place to shop.

Consistently, more than 1.8 million puppies, felines and different pets visit Pet Supplies Plus with their owners. Our stores are brilliant, perfect, sufficiently bright, and have uncluttered passageways that are anything but difficult to shop. Despite the fact that our stores are littler, we convey an indistinguishable broad thing determination from the bigger stockroom style superstores. Our effective outsider conveyance framework with twice every week conveyances at most areas, give our franchisees more prominent thing determination at diminished stock levels.

Our littler store sizes essentially lessen our start-up costs, stock, inhabitance and other working costs, which thus bring down the benefit edge for our stores. The vast majority of our stores are situated in strip malls with other high-movement, comfort arranged retailers. Because of our littler stores sizes and productive plan of action, we can enter littler markets that may have practically no opposition, yet our stores contend viably in real metro regions, too.


Veteran Incentives  $6,000 off franchise fee

"Entrepreneur

#50 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#21 in Franchise 500 for 2021.