Natalie Gordon runs an incredible resource for expectant moms and dads: Babylist.com is a totally custom baby registry that let’s you ask for anything that you want: maid service, spare batteries, those cute hand-crocheted booties from etsy, and a crib? yes times four. She offered us her best insight in how to get your baby shower attendees to get you the stuff you really need. and we said, yes times four!

How to get them to stick to your baby registry list

I was already obsessed with keeping your friends and family from going rogue when I received this email from one of our baby registry users:

“With our first baby, hardly anyone used our gift registry and we ended up with a lot of… well, a lot of crap. Do you have any advice on how to get people to actually use the registry?”

Ja! There are things that you can do to nudge people into buying off of your baby registry. We have a lot of data (over 8k baby registries created with over 400k items and over 55k purchases).

1. choose stuff at different price points
Your co-worker who isn’t coming to the baby shower still wants to get you small gift. having “gifty” things at the $10-15 price-point is perfect. great ideas – board books, bubble bath, baby hats, cute onesies, bath-time toys. here are a few good ones:

Burt’s baby bee bubble bath

Sticky bellies monthly milestone stickers

Dandelion baby mittens

Soft bath toys

Adorable Xylosaurus onesie

Cloth peek-a-boo forest book

30% of items purchased off of baby registries are less than $15.

Someone (maybe your grandma or your mother-in-law) will get you the big-ticket items. Cribs, crib mattresses, bedding, highchairs are all things that those close to you want to help out with. Make sure to ask for the big things so a generous relative doesn’t end up getting you 20 different small things. here are a few bigger ticket items to consider:

Dwell studio mid-century modern crib (vintage style not actual age)

Skip Hop polka dot mod crib bedding

Graco car seat

Ergo baby carrier

Beaba Babycook baby food maker

Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair

10% of items purchased off of baby registries are more than $100.

2. add a note
Some registries let you add a note to each item. brug det! If you were buying a gift for a precious newborn to welcome it to the world would you really get it something “boring” (aka useful) or something “lovely” (aka impractical). Does anyone really want to buy you a humidifier? Ikke rigtig. but with a note like, “This will be a huge help if Junior gets a cold. and we’ve even heard that it helps babies sleep better!” now your friend is able to get you the gift of SLEEP! It’s priceless.

If an item has a note beside it, it is 50% more likely to be purchased off the registry compared to an item with no note.

3. ask for gift certificates
Do you have friends who leave things to the last minute. give them an out by asking for a gift certificate. They can print it out the morning of the shower and avoid a last-minute rush to a store.

9.0% of baby registries include gift cards.

4. Make sure everything is in-stock
Before you send out your registry info check that everything on your registry is still in-stock. baby clothes are notorious for going out-of-stock when the seasons change.