The start of the 4th quarter is our favorite time of year because it has so much going on. We still see lingering activity from the busy fall season even as preparations kick in for year-end holidays. While we encourage you to promote your registry for personal milestone events, we also urge you to spotlight Holiday Gift Lists now. Here’s why:

• Broad Engagement Registry lists for specific events are relevant only for select customers. While activity may be bigger for major events like weddings or the arrival of new babies, the fact that holidays include practically everyone means you can engage your entire customer base. 

• Incremental Gifting Holiday gifting rarely competes with any other event type, (Who skips celebrating the holidays because they are expecting a baby or planning a wedding?) A Holiday Gift List captures incremental gifting activity. Even better, you also capture customer information useful for future follow up.

• A Holiday Gift List Reduces Stress At a time when life is a bit more frenetic than normal. Your registry is a stress buster year-round, but at holiday time, that stress relief can be especially helpful.

• Holiday Gift Lists ensure every gift reflects money well spent We already see Holiday Gift Lists taking shape so ensure you ring up your share of those gifts with your registry service!!!! After all, those same customers likely have a personal event or two coming up in the future, and a great gifting experience will motivate them to come back to you and your registry.

To get things started, here are five Holiday Gift List marketing tips to make this the biggest and best gifting season ever. Start now because almost 50% of all consumers start holiday shopping in October, so be ready.

• Promote Holiday Gift List Use – NOW and Keep it Up Use your existing marketing and consumer communications to promote registry use and give top billing to a Holiday Gift List. Talk up the benefits of using Holiday Gift Lists to streamline gift shopping. Be there for those early bird shoppers and plant the seeds for those who will still be juggling gift plans until the last minute.

• Be Festive and Visual As you refresh your website, store displays, and marketing to get customers into the holiday shopping spirit, be sure to Include your registry. Update the hero image on your site (and store tablet as appropriate) to reflect the season. Carry any new bright and cheery themes across your registry marketing materials as well. In a store, refer to a Holiday Gift List in merchandising displays. 

• Highlight Valued Services and Amenities that Support your Holiday Gift List Turn a spotlight on helpful services you already offer (think gift wrap, special shipping offers or store pick up options, etc.) and give them extra holiday sparkle. This will demonstrate your commitment to reduce stress and even save time, making holiday shopping easier.

• Align Gift Ideas with Important Customer Trends As you adjust merchandising strategies, emphasize how your recommendations match customer values (sustainability, quality, functionality, value). Highlight how adding these items to a Holiday Gift List helps customers reflect their values in the products and services they choose to surround themselves with. Then, just be sure you have stock on hand to avoid disappointments.

• Showcase Holiday Gift Lists as Problem Solvers The holiday season brings merriment and cheer but is often also stressful. So go ahead and feature your use of  Holiday Gift List as a real holiday hero; position it as a ‘gift’ that keeps giving. A registrant can happily unwrap gifts and smile. The gift giver enjoys faster, stress-free shopping and has a gift of time saved as well.

Let’s make this holiday season your best yet! Reach out if you want to explore these ideas further or discuss other ways to build your business. We are here for you at marketingguru@myregistry.com any time.