Today, we’re diving into a fascinating niche product, an automated chicken coop door. It first launched on Amazon in 2019 and later expanded to its own website via Google in 2022. In just three years, it reached 10 million in revenue.
Take a closer look at the product first:
- Brand: RUN-CHICKEN
- Product: Automatic Chicken Coop Door
- Models Available: Battery, Giant, Solar-powered
- Price: $119–$129 (Standard Size), $289 (Turkey Size)
What Makes This Coop Door Special?
Most automatic coop doors are bulky with exposed wiring. RUN-CHICKEN changes that by packing all electronics into a sleek and compact drive unit, as slim as an iPhone.
While other doors on the market still rely on manual buttons, RUN-CHICKEN lets users set everything from their phone. Even while away on vacation, the door opens and closes automatically based on daylight or a preset schedule. For added convenience, Bluetooth connectivity provides real-time status updates.
Compared to the same smartphone-controlled option below, RUN-CHICKEN stands out with solar power support. It is also noticeably lighter and comes at a lower price.
Shipping costs are a major challenge in e-commerce, especially with Amazon FBA, where larger packages mean higher fees. I have to say, RUN-CHICKEN is pretty clever. Their compact design ensures the door is the perfect size for chickens to pass through without wasted space. Also reduces the packaging to a third of the size of other automatic coop doors, significantly cutting fulfillment and storage costs.
Besides chickens, they also launched a larger version for turkeys, priced at $289. I found there’s almost no competition for turkey-specific automatic doors out there.
How Did the Five-Star Hotel Door for Chickens Start?
Growing up on a normal farm in Slovenia, founder Jure often forgot to bring the chickens back to the coop, leading to chaos. While his parents stuck to old-fashioned methods, he saw technology as a way to simplify farm life, leading him to study mechanical engineering.
In school, he learned e-commerce, finding bestsellers on Amazon. He quickly realized that beyond added value, product size was crucial. And chicken coop doors was a first for him.
While working at a company, he developed two small door patents for mini goats, but they remained with the company. Eventually, he grew tired of the typical 9-to-5 routine and decided to start his own business.
Constant Upgrades, Building a Niche Brand
Beyond its smart design, RUN-CHICKEN’s success comes from continuous product improvement. Since launching on Amazon in 2019, the brand has steadily evolved. While the doors may look the same, they undergo up to 164 updates a year based on user feedback.
After 5 years of dedication, RUN-CHICKEN now drives 18.8% brand traffic, making its mark in this niche market.
Supply Chain in China or Local?
To ensure high quality, all production and development are based in Slovenia. With extensive development experience, they can create reliable and affordable products more efficiently.
How’s the Niche Coop Door Selling?
Launched in September 2019, the automatic chicken coop door is priced between $119–149. In just three years, it has generated over ten million in revenue.
Their best-seller, the T50, once hit 2,600+ units a month, generating around $482K in sales. Currently, it sells around 200 units a month, bringing in $30K+ in steady monthly revenue.
Struggling to Raise Capital in the Early Days
Started in 2019, RUN-CHICKEN began by selling just one door a day. Getting initial capital for inventory was a huge challenge, especially since the company was based in Slovenia, a country with a population of just 2.1 million, where e-commerce isn’t as widely embraced.
Many times, when Jure went to the bank to pitch his idea of making doors for chickens, he was laughed off and unable to secure a loan. As a result, during their first year on Amazon, only two months had enough inventory in stock.
In e-commerce, things move faster than in traditional business. RUN-CHICKEN would reinvest ninety percent of their earnings back into the company immediately. The inventory value is 1.5 million on Amazon.
Tackling Counterfeit Challenges
A great product often attracts many imitators, especially in e-commerce. RUN-CHICKEN was one of the few to sell doors that automatically close in the evening and had already patented the design, but that didn’t stop countless knockoffs.
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