As a retailer you are a problem-solver for your customers. You provide the solutions to their needs by supplying them with the products they’ve been looking for. That’s great if they actually know what they are looking for and what they need. As a retailer of pet bird supplies, you have a huge bank of knowledge to draw from, to provide customers with the information needed to make more purchases. You know about new products, new discoveries in the world of avian health, food and equipment. You are the expert!
As a retailer, you should feel good about sharing your expertise, giving your customers the knowledge and products needed to give their birds what they need for a healthy, happy life. The best way to begin with customers is to engage in conversation. Asking the right questions is the most effective way to assist your customers and increase sales. Find out what they are looking for, and then ask why they want that particular product. This opens the door for the customer to talk more about their situation, their particular bird, and that bird’s needs. Pet owners generally enjoy talking about their pet, and your questions about species, housing, diet, activities and habits will provide you with valuable information. This is a great opportunity for you to use your unique avian knowledge and recommend the specific item that best suits their need, as well as additional products that might work well for the customer.
Once you build rapport with the customer and are able to make effective recommendations, you increase the chances of future purchases as well as referrals to other bird owners.
The world of pet birds includes many different types of birds, with different characteristics and care requirements. If your customers have never owned a bird before, how do they begin to search for the perfect pet bird? Assisting your customer with the decision making process will create a happy customer instead of a returned sale. It’s important to learn about a few types of birds that are generally good for first-time bird owners while considering what they are looking for in a bird, and go from there.
SBC SB446 - Snuggle Ring
Some of the questions you might want to ask your customers are: What are you looking for in a bird? Do you want a bird that is a pleasant singer, or one that might learn to talk? How much time do you have to spend on your pet bird each day? What kind of space do you have available for your pet bird? How much can you spend on purchasing your new bird?
Bird owners sometimes just want companionship from a bird. Many birds will fit the bill in that case. Finches and canaries are cheerful and beautiful birds to watch and listen to. They are active during the day and are easy to breed if you are interested. Parakeets, budgies and cockatiels are good beginner birds that can enjoy handling and interaction, can learn to mimic sounds and whistles, and will display unique and entertaining personalities. These smaller birds don’t require large amounts of space and are not as loud as some types of parrots. Larger parrots can be a handful and require more interaction.
Finding the right bird for your customer will increase the happiness of both the owner and their bird.
During the holiday season, folks are always looking for just the right gift the the parrot lover. Here are a few suggestions:
Spectacular Hand Painted Bird Ornaments can be used year after year. True gems for the tree and home.
Limited Edition Bird Watches are water resistant with Real Leather bands, Japanese quartz movements, and 2 year batteries. Multiple bird styles are available.
Bird Behavior and Training DVDs and CD’s. Always a welcome resource for the parrot/bird owner which will improve their relationship with their pet bird.
Books for Bird Lovers including training and species specific titles including our two newest books on Amazon Parrots and Cockatoos.
Creating a parrot play space for pet birds may be as easy as installing a ceiling saver in the appropriate location. Ceiling Savers, also known as Ceiling Protectors or Ceiling Guards, are designed to deter the bird from nibbling (OK, destroying!) your ceiling. They can be used inside the home or in an enclosed outdoor room. They are a simple way to create a parrot play space outside the bird cage. Although we mainly think of large parrots and macaws as being the likely culprits, do not underestimate the power of the mighty beaks of the smaller birds. We want them to chew (i.e. – lots of bird toys) but not our homes!
The ceiling devices come in several designs. Some include a toggle bolt with the unit and others do not. Depending on the placement, a “plant hangar” or eye hook will be needed to order to hang the ceiling saver.
Once installed, you are ready to place a swing or toy on the ceiling saver for your bird’s enjoyment!
Another item to create play space is the Bird Toy Hook. There are two types: The Screw End Bird Toy Hook for applications on wood perches and the Bolt On Bird Toy Hook for cages. After installation, hang a bird toy or even a fruit & veggie kabob. Keep it interesting and fun by changing the bird toy or bird treat often!
For resale information please contact Wyld’s Wingdom, www.wingdom.com.
Wow, folks. What can I say? We already LOVE our newest bird car seat, bird stands and bird swings! (Three more swings coming soon.)
This Bird Car Seat is made from PVC with a plastic “catch tray”, one 16 oz bird cup for birdie snacks and a dragonwood perch for easy gripping. One size — appropriate for medium to large parrots and cockatoos.
AND, two new PVC and Dragonwood table top bird stands. The smaller one has one bird cup and the larger one has two bird cups. The bases are made from a corrugated plastic material for easy cleaning. And take a look at the bottoms of the bird stands. Note the plastic cover over the screws to minimize scratches to your furniture. Way to go FST! We love how you listen.
AND, the large swing with two feeder cups! We have not seen one quite like this before. The cups are tilted in just a bit for easy access for the bird to feed. This is a large swing, so we are thinking macaw or large cockatoo here.
Look for these items at your local bird store.
For more information please visit www.wingdom.com (Password Required)
Yes, we have it! The newest pet bird food on the market, OVEN FRESH BITES!
So what is it? And how is it different? Oven Fresh Bites is a BAKED bird food diet, nutritionally developed using human grade ingredients. The significant word is “baked.” Baking the product at a lower temperature for a slower time in smaller batches allows the use of different textures and tastes to be nutritionally retained in the biscuit-like nuggets. Oven Fresh Bites, the Natural Baked Diet, competes favorably with any pellet on the market. (See Nutritional Ingredient Info.)
Do the birds take to it? Oh, yeah! The acceptance rate is phenomenal. It takes very little time for most birds to recognize it as food. One customer said she merely had to mimic eating it herself to get one of her birds to try it. Her other birds had already dived into their bowls. (See Natural Conversion Methods.)
What sizes are available? Large Parrot (42 oz and 15 lb), Medium Parrot (28 oz and 15 lb) and Small Parrot (28 oz and 15 lb). A Mini Bite version for the little guys is not yet available.
Retail stores: Please refer to our Wyld’s Wingdom website, www.wingdom.com (password required) for complete information or phone us at 1-800-366-9953.
Exotic Bird and Pet Bird guardians, parents, companions, owners and keepers: TELL your bird store about this great new product and let us know who we should contact at that store to follow-up. Email us at avianproductdigest@wingdom.com
Well, I have d-r-a-g-g-e-d my feet long enough. It is time to blog. For those of you who have been to our booth at any of the trade shows or have ever met me, you know how I love to talk “bird.”
Let me be more specific: Bird Products! And how Building Your Bird Department To Be Its Own Show Stopperis Wyld’s Wingdom’s mission!
I believe there are several key elements to a great bird department. Among them:
Variety,Focus & Knowledge
When these 3 elements are present, bird owners and potential(!) bird owners are excited to visit and purchase products from your store.
OK, now we’re bloggin’. They say the hardest thing to do is to start. I am looking forward to talking “bird” with you.
As a retailer you are a problem-solver for your customers. You provide the solutions to their needs by supplying them with the products they’ve been looking for. That’s great if they actually know what they are looking for and what they need. As a retailer of pet bird supplies, you have a huge bank of knowledge to draw from, to provide customers with the information needed to make more purchases. You know about new products, new discoveries in the world of avian health, food and equipment. You are the expert!
Spectacular Hand Painted Bird Ornaments can be used year after year. True gems for the tree and home.
Books for Bird Lovers including training and species specific titles including our two newest books on Amazon Parrots and Cockatoos.
Creating a parrot play space for pet birds may be as easy as installing a ceiling saver in the appropriate location. Ceiling Savers, also known as Ceiling Protectors or Ceiling Guards, are designed to deter the bird from nibbling (OK, destroying!) your ceiling. They can be used inside the home or in an enclosed outdoor room. They are a simple way to create a parrot play space outside the bird cage. Although we mainly think of large parrots and macaws as being the likely culprits, do not underestimate the power of the mighty beaks of the smaller birds. We want them to chew (i.e. – lots of bird toys) but not our homes!
Another item to create play space is the Bird Toy Hook. There are two types: The Screw End Bird Toy Hook for applications on wood perches and the Bolt On Bird Toy Hook for cages. After installation, hang a bird toy or even a fruit & veggie kabob. Keep it interesting and fun by changing the bird toy or bird treat often!
This Bird Car Seat is made from PVC with a plastic “catch tray”, one 16 oz bird cup for birdie snacks and a dragonwood perch for easy gripping. One size — appropriate for medium to large parrots and cockatoos.
AND, the large swing with two feeder cups! We have not seen one quite like this before. The cups are tilted in just a bit for easy access for the bird to feed. This is a large swing, so we are thinking macaw or large cockatoo here.
So what is it? And how is it different? Oven Fresh Bites is a BAKED bird food diet, nutritionally developed using human grade ingredients. The significant word is “baked.” Baking the product at a lower temperature for a slower time in smaller batches allows the use of different textures and tastes to be nutritionally retained in the biscuit-like nuggets. Oven Fresh Bites, the Natural Baked Diet, competes favorably with any pellet on the market. (
at sizes are available? Large Parrot (42 oz and 15 lb), Medium Parrot (28 oz and 15 lb) and Small Parrot (28 oz and 15 lb). A Mini Bite version for the little guys is not yet available.