- When setting up their baby registries, parents' habits are changing.
- COVID-19 has impacted registry trends, and many parents now register and purchase earlier to avoid supply chain issues.
- Gen Z and Millennials have different priorities when it comes to their registries, with Gen Z registering at fewer retailers and requesting fewer items.
- Overall, parents are registering for more essentials these days, like wipes and diaper rash cream.
- Amazon continues to grow its lead as the top baby registry.
Seventy five percent of expecting parents create a baby registry — but how they curate those registries is changing.
To learn more about current baby registry trends, we turned to those at the heart of the registry experience: new and expecting moms. In March 2022, Everyday Health Group, the parent company of What to Expect, surveyed more than 1,800 U.S. women (1,852 to be exact) who were either pregnant or had a baby 0 to 6 months old. We asked them where they registered, what they put on their lists and why, as well as about other factors that influenced their registry decisions. Finally, we compared their responses to those from a similar survey we did in 2020 of 2,250 women, which shows how habits have changed during the pandemic.
Below, check out some of the most significant findings from the survey.
When setting up their registries, parents’ habits are changing
Parents are prioritizing must-haves when curating their baby registries. (That means if you’re shopping for a baby shower gift soon, you may be more likely to find diaper wipes on the list than the latest sound machine, for instance.) In fact, a notable 84 percent are buying or registering for more essentials versus nice-to-haves. Similarly, 63 percent of parents are trying to get by with less overall. Expecting parents are registering for fewer products, from 60 items in 2020 down to 56 items in 2022.
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Despite having smaller registries, parents take time to carefully curate them. On average, parents spend about two months finalizing their registries. And after the registry is live, 95 percent of parents added or edited products on it at least once.
While online shopping is now the norm, 53 percent of expecting parents still visit brick-and-mortar stores to research or test products before finalizing their online registries. The most common products parents try in-store include car seats (24 percent), strollers (21 percent), bottles (14 percent), travel systems (13 percent) and clothing and diaper bags (12 percent each).
The pandemic has had an impact on registry trends
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed countless aspects of our lives, and that includes how parents create baby registries. For instance, 73 percent of parents have noticed the rising cost of baby products when registering for gifts. This might help explain why 42 percent acquire secondhand products.
Pandemic-related supply chain issues have spilled over into the baby registry sector, too. Sixty three percent of expecting parents have experienced out-of-stock or back-ordered items at the time of purchase, and 50 percent said they are buying baby products themselves earlier to avoid out-of-stock issues. Sometimes, supply chain issues affect the products parents register for, as nearly half (48 percent) said they opted for gear that’s in stock instead of waiting on a specific brand or model.
And of course, the pandemic has impacted how parents are celebrating their babies’ arrivals. Fewer parents are having baby showers, gender reveals, pampering sessions and sip and sees, from 87 percent pre-pandemic down to 74 percent today. With the cost of raising a baby on the rise, not to mention the ongoing risk of COVID-19 exposure, this news can be expected. What’s more, one in three moms don’t feel comfortable asking others to buy gifts due to increasing prices, social unrest or the pandemic.
Gen Z and Millennials have different priorities when it comes to their baby registries
Gen Z parents lead the pared-down registry trend. They’re registering for fewer items than Millennials, listing an average of 54 items on their registries versus Millennials’ 60 items. Gen Z-ers are also 17 percent less likely to add big-ticket items to their registries than Millennials. Gen Z parents are 23 percent less likely to register for a playard and 14 percent less likely to register for a travel system, for example. Instead, Gen Z moms are prioritizing more self- and health-focused gear, like birth recovery products, over-the-counter medications, hand sanitizer and supplements.
One potential reason for these smaller, more pared-down registries? Eighty one percent of parents (both Gen Z and Millennial) say they don’t want to appear to be “asking for too much” when sharing their registries with loved ones. This is especially true for Gen Z parents, who are 13 percent more likely to shy away from asking for gifts due to rising costs, the pandemic and more.
This attitude not only influences how many gifts expecting parents register for, but how many places they register at as well — especially for Gen Z. Thirty five percent of Gen Z parents create just one registry to avoid seeming like they’re asking for too much, compared to 25 percent of Millennial parents.
Baby registries are looking more pragmatic
Despite registering for fewer items, the amount of essential gear parents are including on their lists is up in several categories, particularly baby sleep, baby health, parental confidence and postpartum recuperation.
Ask any parent, and they’ll tell you just how valuable their sleep is — which is perhaps part of the reason why more moms are registering for sleep-related gear. Registrations for bassinets/sleepers are up 20 percent, and up 26 percent for sound soothers.
Medicine cabinet must-haves are also popular registry picks. Thermometers, nasal aspirators and teething/oral care products are especially common choices, with teething and oral care products in particular seeing a 17 percent increase from 2020 to 2022. More parents have also added hand sanitizer to their registries post-pandemic.
Products that help make parenting easier and less stressful are on the rise, too. Registrations have increased for baby monitors (up 10 percent from 2020), smart nursery and baby gear (up 26 percent) and baby health trackers (up 40 percent). These devices can provide parents with peace of mind and ensure that their little ones are safe and well.
Finally, more moms are registering for gear that offers much-needed support during the postpartum period. Products that saw increases in 2022 include birth recovery products (up 44 percent from 2020), breast pumps (up 25 percent) and nursing products (up 6 percent).
Other essential products have also gained traction in the past two years, with wipe registrations up 10 percent and diaper rash cream registrations up 20 percent, for example. A few bigger ticket items have also picked up steam, like strollers (up 19 percent from 2020) and toys (up 23 percent from 2020).
Amazon continues to lead as the top baby registry
Although some parents still register at multiple retailers, having one registry is becoming increasingly common. Today, moms-to-be are 15 percent more likely to create just one registry than they were in 2020, with half of respondents creating a single registry.
That means that the competition for where parents register may be a bit fiercer. Amazon continues to dominate as the preferred registry (up 8 percent from 2020). In fact, a whopping 80 percent of respondents have registered with Amazon. Parents appreciate that Amazon’s registry-building process is easy to manage, and that the retailer has a wide selection that’s convenient for family and friends to shop.
Gen Z parents have largely led these trends, where 83 percent of Gen Z respondents registered at Amazon. That's a 25 percent increase from 2020, when 66 percent of respondents told us they used Amazon's baby registry, illustrating the retailer's continued growth as a primary registry for parents. Meanwhile, Millennials are more likely to also register at Target or Walmart.
Final thoughts
Creating a baby registry looks quite different than it did in the past, and this survey proves that trends have continued to change in recent years. Many parents are prioritizing essential items over nice-to-haves; requests for practical items that help moms navigate early parenthood, such as birth recovery products and smart nursery gear, are on the rise.
The pandemic has made an impact on both registries and celebrations, and moms are grappling with supply chain issues and increased costs. Gen Z and Millennial parents may differ in their registry approach, with Gen Z-ers often registering for fewer items on a single registry.
As time goes on and new moms continue to adjust to pandemic parenthood, we’ll see how brands adjust to the modern-day needs of parents when it comes to all-things baby registries, from the gear moms need to where they’re getting it from. Despite all these changes, some things have remained the same, from the importance of testing out big-ticket gear in person to the essential registry products.
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