NPD Reports Nine in Ten Brides Are Extremely/Very Satisfied with Registry Experience, but Retailer Opportunity Still Exists

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today’s brides have many more resources at their fingertips for planning the big event than their counterparts of years past – including the traditional means of friends, family, and bridal magazines and the more contemporary online planning sites and communities. In a new report, Understanding Today’s Bride: A Consumer Perspective from The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company, the convergence of external sources, along with the couples’ own ideas and preferences, is what ultimately drives wedding decision-making.

“Self purchases are somewhat discretionary and can be delayed, but you can’t delay registering or purchasing a gift for the bride and groom, so it is important to maximize your bridal marketing efforts”

Today’s bride is no different from the everyday consumer, as far as expectations of convenience are concerned. When it comes to selecting retailers for their bridal registries, brides are more likely to consider features such as ease of registration, ease of returning/exchanging gifts, or being conveniently located as being most important.

Nearly 60 percent of brides/newlyweds who registered said their in-store experiences played a role in their decision-making about which retailer to use. Additionally, nearly 90 percent of registrants said they were extremely/very satisfied with their registry experience. Those who registered at mass merchants/discounters or department stores were more satisfied with their registry experience, compared to those who registered at home specialty, national chain, or home improvement retailers.

Grooms Say “I do” to Registries

In deciding what items to include on the registry, 59 percent of registering brides-to-be indicate being greatly influenced by their fiancé’s, much more so than their family/friends, bridal magazines, or bridal consultants – debunking any notions that suggest today’s groom takes a hands-off approach when it comes to the registry.

The report also reveals that when planning the wedding, external sources, including wedding/store consultants, magazines, televisions and Websites/online communities, do little to influence the decision making of today’s brides, in comparison to friends and family.

Top Registry Product Picks

When it comes to product selection, no single product category dominates the registry. Bedding/linens, bakeware, cookware, bath textiles, and kitchen electrics are among the top categories brides-to-be/newlyweds said they registered/planned to register for.

Three quarters of registered bride-to-be/newlyweds said they would purchase some remaining items from their registry if left incomplete, spending an average of $459, with notable differences by channel of registration.

“Understanding the bridal market is now more important than ever in this challenging economic time,” said Peter Goldman, president of NPD’s Home industry sector. “Self purchases are somewhat discretionary and can be delayed, but you can’t delay registering or purchasing a gift for the bride and groom, so it is important to maximize your bridal marketing efforts,” ended Goldman.

Methodology:

An NPD online consumer survey consisting of 48 questions was fielded to females ages 18-54 years old during the week of Nov. 12, 2008 – Nov. 19, 2008; 15,642 panelists completed their surveys, with 971 qualifying as brides/newlyweds.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,600 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/.