Show your ‘love’ for your registrants and play up all the benefits of a registry

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, its focus on love and gifting for those we care about seems to consume the entire month. 

It’s no surprise that we are big fans of any sort of gift giving. We even see Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for you to encourage current registry users to repurpose their gift list for the occasion.

But, there’s a specific love story that revolves around your company’s gift registry—between you and those registrants—and it's the perfect time to talk about it. Customers who choose to register with you are showing their love for you and your products. By creating a registry with you, consumers are taking a big step beyond just thinking of you and your store as a personal shopping favorite. Sharing the gift lists they create with family, friends and guests immediately turns them into brand ambassadors who help generate more brand visibility for your store. That’s a lot of love coming your way, and it deserves your attention and response. 

The good news here? It’s easier than you think to demonstrate your appreciation of these customers. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular features and tools that our partners tell us instill loyalty among their registry users. You’ll immediately notice how manageable many of these suggestions can be.

Three Ways Your Registry Can Show How Much You Value These Customers

Our research shows that there are three broad categories of benefits and features that demonstrate commitment to helping customers manage a successful gifting process.

We encourage you to boldly talk up all the elements in place that help registry users curate gift lists that work for them—it’s not bragging to point out all you do. Rather, think of it as a way for customers to feel validated and smart for choosing you. 

As you review all of these attributes, focus on the specific tools that will work best for you. 

 Make the Most of What You Already Do

Customers register with certain retailers because they like your products and the shopping experience you offer. Let them see how easy it will be to have others purchase their product favorites from you and instill them with the confidence that whichever gift they choose from your gift list will be joyfully received.

There’s little-to-no added cost to take advantage of features that are already in place. For instance:

I: Spotlight Your Products and Show Your Expertise as a Guide to What’s Perfect for Them

While your products likely speak for themselves and make you a sought-after shopping destination, a few key points about them can underscore a ‘why register’ message.

• Whether it is the breadth and depth of your assortments or unique and exclusive items that draw in customers, talk them up as the perfect way to create a registry of personal favorites. Be sure to show excitement for what’s new and hot—share what you see trending and/or what’s popular on registry lists. 
• Focus on product features that resonate with people. Benefits can range from highlighting product quality and price value to environmentally friendly features.

Guide smart choices by providing content that helps a registrant pick products that best align with their lifestyles and interests. Suggest tips for recommended quantities and even suggest how to mix, match and coordinate their favorites.

• Share any product guides and usage tips you have. Registrants are especially interested in not only making smart choices but also in feeling confident they know how to take care of them. 
• A hint: product guides are often available from your vendors and easily shared by links or hard copy.

II:  Showcase Services That Save Time or Money, Add Convenience, or Reduce Stress

Whatever you already have in place will be especially appreciated during busy gifting times by both the registrant and their gift givers.

• Free services are valued and can make the gifting process even easier; every registrant likes the idea that their family and friends can enjoy such benefits.
• Free or special shipping and delivery offers are always a nice plus.
• Gift wrap or gift card notifications add a wonderful finishing touch.
• Installation assistance or “how to” support is reassuring and helpful—especially for baby products like car seats as well as furnishings and electronics.

• Conveniences make it easier for customers to manage gifting.
• Hassle free returns, exchanges and contactless pickup are always valued by customers.
• Don’t forget to highlight any curbside or BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) options you have.

• Leverage personal service/consultation options that can occur in a store or via Zoom. Such interactions invariably lead to the creation of more valuable gift lists as registrants are guided to items they might otherwise overlook. 

III:  Now, Add Registry Exclusive Benefits

Let’s take it a step further and overlay some special perks for your registry users. There are two ways to do this. First, look for opportunities to tweak existing content and perks you already have and give them a distinctive registry twist as this can incur little to no expense. Then, include special value-added incentives that are registry exclusives. The latter may add expense, but the payback can be quite profitable.

• Enhance existing content and perks.
• Craft welcome packages and emails that target registry users and show your appreciation.
• Hype perks and other offers you have in place and include registry users in them. Take advantage of existing loyalty programs, insider deals, etc. and immediately let registrants qualify.

• Add new programs with exclusive registrant privileges. While the ideas suggested here may add some direct expenses, they can be a very powerful and impactful way to recognize registry users. Based on your budget and resources, consider:
• Offering a registry gift is a nice way to thank users for their registry sign up or to acknowledge their event, which is always a nice touch. This can take many forms—from a small physical gift that aligns with your product assortment or perhaps a gift provided by a vendor or other strategic partner who will appreciate a chance to put a product/service in the hands of a customer (and the latter may not cost you much). 
• Any incentive that rewards registry users when they add specific products will likely lead to bigger, more valuable gift lists. A completion program is a very popular option and increasingly used across the industry. With it, and the opportunity for a registrant to self -purchase items left on their registry after an event date at a discount, we find it motivates registrants to add more items as they know they can acquire them at a great price.

On top of everything you do, don’t forget that your registry software has some value-added features that your customers will appreciate as well. Take credit for them as they reinforce your commitment to provide the most comprehensive and convenient registry experience. Mention the universal feature that makes it easy to create a single, shareable gift list that is easy for a registrant to manage and share…and just as easy for gift purchasers to shop.

With so many ways to show how much you value registry users, the hard part will be deciding which one(s) make most sense for you to do first. We say ‘first’ because you can continue to overlay new programs (or tweak existing ones) as your registry momentum builds. And, no worries, that’s why we are here; we’ll help you focus on what makes most sense for you and your specific business and work from there. 

If you have any questions or want to learn more about showering attention on registry users and growing your gifting business, we can always be reached at marketingguru@myregistry.com.