Should Your Store Offer Online Registry?

The Web levels the playing field for out-of-town guests.

By Meredith Schwartz -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 4/1/2001

The typical small-town wedding at which everyone knows everyone is becoming a thing of the past. Thanks to increased mobility and marriages happening later in life, weddings have gone global. When the bride is from Atlanta, her mom lives in Miami, the groom is from New York, they met during college in Austin, and they're settling in Chicago, the wedding gifts and attendees are liable to hail from all over the map. This means that a local store competing for bridal customers has a tough sell, compared with national chains guaranteed to be in everyone's backyard. One way to level the playing field is to make use of the World Wide Web.

Pros

An online registry lets an independent compete effectively with even a giant chain, because guests from anywhere can view the couple's choices, pick what they like and can afford, and have it sent directly to the happy couple. And creating a registry is a lower-risk way to try out e-commerce than opening a full online store. There's a built-in audience, and many people who would hesitate to buy for themselves without seeing an item in person will buy a registry gift online, since they know the bride and groom will like it. And online registries aren't just for tabletop retailers. Late marriages and casual lifestyles mean that many couples are looking for an alternative to the traditional housewares registry. A gift store that stocks unique product is well-positioned to appeal to the bride who has everything-and the guest who wants to give something personal, not an interchangeable place setting.

Another advantage of a Web registry is that it appeals to today's busy couples: The bride and groom can manage the process efficiently and at their own convenience. With one click they can check what's been ordered, what's on backorder, and what's been shipped. They can also make any changes they want. The ease and high-tech nature of an online registry make it particularly likely to appeal to grooms, who are increasingly involved in the registry process, and to male customers in general.

Cons

However, online registries aren't for everyone. Even the simplest Web site takes time and money to design, build, and update; and while all Web sites need updating frequently, it is particularly crucial to keep a registry up-to-the-minute, so that guests don't end up buying duplicate gifts. Assess whether you're ready to take on the additional giftwrapping, shipping, and out-of-state customers, as well as the maintenance, before you take the plunge. If registry is not an established part of your business, you might want to try one out on an in-store basis before you invest in an online version.

Before you create an online registry, ask your customers if they think they would use it, and how important it is to them. If you design your online registry well, you may capture a much larger share of local brides. But don't count on significant business from far-off registrants. Despite the global nature of the Web, there's no reason for brides to single out your shop. Unless you already have a long distance following of people who turn to you for hard-to-find items, chances are that they will shop closer to home, with names they already know and trust. In addition, the Web offers a new form of competition: multi-retailer online registries.

Tips for Maximizing Your Registry Sales

• Even if you offer the option to register entirely online, strongly encourage your brides and grooms to view the merchandise in person. This will decrease the risk of returns and customer dissatisfaction.

• Little touches make a big difference. Give online customers a choice of giftwrap and personalized gift cards. Offer to notify all the invited guests by e-mail or regular mail.

• Be sure to have a toll-free number and fax options for non-computer-savvy long distance shoppers.

• The Web (especially e-tailer Amazon.com) has popularized the idea of the all-occasion gift registry or "wish list." If you've already invested money in registry software and getting your inventory online, why not have the registry serve double duty as a birthday, anniversary, and other occasion registry? Make sure that there's a separate page for your wedding customers, though: Brides want to feel special.