June 2016
Binoculars on Birding By Abby (Kleckler) McGarry

Many of you likely carry birding products in your store, but this parallel market is often overlooked when it comes to merchandising. Here are some ideas from fellow retailers who have found ways to create an eye-catching department that’s literally, and not figuratively, “for the birds.”

For this photo-heavy look at eye-catching birding displays, see the PDF below.

Rock Valley Garden Center
Rockford, Illinois

To say that Rock Valley Garden Center excels with birding is an understatement — 37 to 50 percent of its business is in this area depending on the time of the year. Here you can see some ideas for cross merchandising by adding décor pieces into the displays or carrying gift items for the birding enthusiast.

Logan’s One-Stop Garden Shop
Raleigh, North Carolina

Logan’s dedicates a large footprint to birding during the off-season with some of its larger birdhouses displayed in the center of the space. TVs also play in the department to show exactly how birds would interact with the feeders outside.

Behnke Nurseries
Beltsville, Maryland

An “Insect Hotel” outside draws attention with a bird nester, mason bee houses, ladybug condos and butterfly townhouses, just to name a few sections. Inside, bird feeders and birdhouses are displayed on a wooden tree to utilize the height of the display space.

Sawyer Garden Center
Sawyer, Michigan

Displays don’t have to be fancy. Sawyer Garden Center has a basic way of displaying its wild birdseed, but the organization and colorful signs are key to the area’s success. The store also utilized a lot of wood to distinguish birding from the rest of the departments.

Johnson’s Gardens
Cedarburg, Wisconsin

At Johnson’s Gardens customers can get just as much of each mix as they’d like by using this easy to serve up station and scale. This is placed next to a creative wall that displays some items that look best hanging in the space.

Piedmont Feed & Garden Center
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Make a big impact in the category with not a lot of product by having a single display that has a bright, high sign that can be seen the minute a customer walks in the door. Piedmont Feed & Garden Center also lets customers know about events it’s hosting such as “Attracting Birds to Your Backyard.”

Fairview Garden Center
Raleigh, North Carolina

What better way to display wildlife items than by creating a sectioned-off area, or “birdhouse,” for them? This Nature Nook features seed, feeders and birdhouses in a specific area that urges shoppers to stop and enter.