We love the holiday season – it’s so exciting to see registry and gift list usage surge. On top of the milestone events you support all the time, Q4 holidays provide the single biggest gift shopping time of the year. This year is no exception. Even as the economy is still a bit uncertain, gift exchange is still a top 3 priority for consumers (right up there with spending for essentials). With literally everyone getting ready to celebrate in some fashion, that means your entire customer base represents potential holiday gift list users.

Even now, with just weeks to go before we ring out the old (2023) and ring in the new (2024), your customers are still out in droves in search of the perfect gift. That’s because we are seeing customers spread out their holiday shopping in order to manage spending. Initial shopping started weeks ago, but the frenzy continues. Customers are far from done. Consumer surveys suggest that somewhere between 10% and 20% of customers have yet to do any (or at least most) of their gift shopping. That means there is still a lot of store traffic and/or online business coming your way.

But as days pass, life seems busier than ever and stress levels are increasing. The importance of ensuring that the gift you get is a perfect gift just adds stress. As you know, gift recipients (our registrants) have strong feelings about what they want, and they definitely do not want to be bogged down with the clutter of unwanted gifts that create return hassles and waste. For gift givers, regardless of whether they intend to rein in their budgets or splurge, they want to spend wisely and know that their purchases will be joyfully unwrapped. Combine those sentiments together and it reinforces the power of your gift registry. It’s the shining star of the season because a holiday gift list solves every gift problem your customers may have.

Think of it this way: You (and your holiday gift list):

• Help make wishes come true. Every gift list ensures friends and family can shop with confidence that they know just what is wanted…and just where to find it
• Ensure that all is calm. No stress or fuss needed to find the perfect gift and what a joy that is for everyone involved (including you and your harried staff!).
• Make gift exchanges merry and bright. Your registrants will have bright smiles as they unwrap their gifts and those celebratory gatherings are guaranteed to be bright and cheery.

So, for one last time this year, we urge you to position yourself as a great gifting resource. Be the gift of advice and support that your customers will appreciate.

Holiday Helper Checklist

• Be bold and use every marketing and consumer communication program you have going on to underscore the ease of holiday gift list use.
• Be jolly and infuse your visuals with colorful, seasonal imagery that makes customers smile and motivates them to be a smart gift planner or giver.
• Energize those shopper elves (your staff) to offer great gift ideas and encourage gift list use as the antidote to a grumpy gift experience.
• Put your social media to work; invite conversation and gift idea sharing among customers as that engagement can generate more shopping activity.
• In the spirit of auld lang syne, don’t forget your past registry users and invite them to refresh their lists and ensure this event has the same ‘happy endings’ for every unwrapped gift as their past celebrations.
• Celebrate new possibilities with a shout out to past gift purchasers; they trusted you as a gift source for a friend or loved one, now be there for them.

Up until the very last moment, keep the gifting message front and forward. Share the good tidings that your expert advice can provide to those last minute shoppers. Even those who don’t have a gift list will appreciate the suggestions you can offer (as you know what customers are adding to gift lists). Win points for a happy holiday now and that can lead to future gift registry use and more customer shopping loyalty in 2024.

We wish you and yours the best for a very merry, happy, healthy, and prosperous close to 2023. May your registry service help you ring up lots of holiday sales!

Looking forward to working together in 2024 and building your business even bigger. 

We encourage you to start doing any and all of these now so that you’re in step with all that’s going on in your customers’ lives. If you have any questions in particular or want to learn more about managing your registry data, we can always be reached at marketingguru@myregistry.com.