When you’re about to have a baby, it can seem everyone is full of advice on what to do, how to feel and especially what to buy for baby and the nursery. For more than 20 years, Babies R Us (BRU) was one of the most popular retailers for clothes, car seats, furniture and baby registries. But after BRU closed their doors in 2018, many expectant parents were unsure of where to shop. Fortunately, a variety of baby registry and shopping options have filled the void, some of which make the registration process more fun and seamless than the single retailer BRU provided.

Universal Baby Registries Allow Parents To Streamline Selections

The newest way to register for baby gifts is with universal registries, allowing parents to choose from many different stores and merge their selections together in one place.

Babylist Offers A Diverse And Thoughtful Solution With Their Baby Registry

Babylist is one of several new registries where expectant parents can merge their wants and needs from stores all over the web into a single registry. In the case of Babylist, parents-to-be are encouraged to mix a variety of items from big retailers to independent artists on Etsy, suggesting unique gifts as a sweet, personal option.

Several additional perks of the Babylist registry, including “Cash Funds” and “Help & Favors,” make the registry a stand out for expectant parents. Cash Funds can be created for gift-givers who want to get together and contribute to one big item, like a rocking chair or crib. Cash Funds contributors can also give money to college funds or help with other ongoing expenses like meal or cloth diaper services. Help & Favors coupons are pre-made to include things like dog walking or babysitting, or they can be customized by the gift giver. These added registry options are a cute way to ask for what you really need without being pushy.

Once parents-to-be have registered, Babylist sends a sample box filled with goodies like diapers, bibs and coupons, courtesy of their brand partnerships. The all-hands-on-deck approach of Babylist creates a curative, personal approach to baby registries.

The Bump Baby Registry Is A Content Hub And Efficiency Solution

The Bump is a sleek and sophisticated site from the founders of the The Knot and The Nest, with content, support and tools targeted to Millennials. In addition to providing answers to (it seems) every question expectant parents might have at every stage of pregnancy and beyond, The Bump offers a registry process that syncs all your registries into one handy shopping list.

According to The Bump, expectant parents can “Create registries with all your favorite retailers like Amazon, Buybuybaby and more! The Bump syncs them for you within 24 hours. 80% of all moms in the US host their baby registry on The Bump!” The Bump registry service, when coupled with their user-friendly app, allows parents to easily share and consolidate their registry lists.

BRU Competitors Continue To Be A Great Option For Baby Registries

WalMart, Amazon, Target and Buybuybaby continue to be viable and popular places for expectant parents to register and often offer perks to registrants. For example, Target offers a 15% discount on everything left in registries eight weeks before baby’s due date and includes a free welcome kit with $100 worth of coupons and samples. Buybuybaby, which is owned by Bed, Bath & Beyond (BBB) allows customers to use BBB coupons for purchases at Buybuybaby. As a specialty baby store, Buybuybaby also most closely approximates the shopping and merchandise experience of Babies R Us.

Alternatives To Typical Registries May Appeal To Niche Customer Bases

Not every parent wants the same things for their baby. Alternative registry options may appeal to parents with different tastes or styles.

IKEA’s baby registry offers its delightful mix of Swedish baby items, but expectant parents can add anything from Ikea to their list, including furniture. The IKEA Gift Registry App is available to manage it all.

For eco-conscious parents, The Ultimate Green Store has a baby registry that can be stocked with organic stuffed toys, baby clothes and linens.

Gugu Guru is the Pinterest of baby gear. Not quite a registry, it calls itself a “recommendation and discovery” site for parents. The Gugu Concierge helps parents narrow down what they like based on a quick quiz, and parents can then choose to buy or “favorite” the suggested items, which include an eclectic mix of different styles and vendors.

Startups Will Continue To Innovate As Big Retailers Evolve

As the big box store sector fluctuates with digital competition and changes to shopping habits, startups and other innovators will continue to disrupt how people shop — expectant parents included.

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