Dive Brief:

• Online retailer Wayfair unveiled a wedding registry on Tuesday that includes traditional nuptial offerings like housewares as well as furniture and other decor at various price points, featuring brands like Kate Spade New York, All-Clad, Cuisinart, Le Creuset, Lenox and Wüsthof, the company said in a press release.

• The registry includes free shipping on all orders shipped directly to the couple, white glove delivery for large items, an extended 90-day return policy and other benefits. Nearly-weds can also view ready-made registries that range in style from “Glam & Posh” to “Boho Cool” and “Modern Mix.”

• The service includes a “group-gifting” feature so that friends and family can contribute to higher ticket items, and dedicated registry specialists are available to assist with gift selection and recommendations, delivery requests and other questions.

Dive Insight:

The wedding space is increasingly being targeted to millennials, considering how many are reaching the ages typical for people opting for to get married. And with same-sex marriage now legal across the country, retailers now have an even wider market to tap. With consumers (especially millennials) preferring to spend their money on experiences over stuff, creating a new household is one of the few times when many are indeed laser-focused on actual hard goods.

Weddings are a nearly $60 billion industry (not including the honeymoon), according to IBIS World. It’s time for retailers to modernize the wedding registry game from the traditional bride-only focus by offering more options. 

Macy’s is one retailer doing that. In May, the retailer began taking steps to bundle traditional offerings in bridal apparel and rings alongside spa offerings. Macy's also expanded its jewelry offerings to include better quality designer rings, and stores were reorganized so that wedding registry and stylist employees report to the same store manager. 

For its part, Wayfair is taking advantage of its position as a furniture and home decor retailer to make it easy for couples to imagine their homes in various style modes, and smooth out the process for friends and family to purchase those items. Making the most of its data-based, online approach, Wayfair is creating what it calls “a hub for couples,” which allows them to upload photos, share notes with their guests and tag their favorite finds. Couples can control where their gifts get shipped, while tracking the gifts as well as who purchased them,  helping customers take care of that all-important after-wedding task — "thank you" notes. 

The company is operating with the assumption that many couples already have a lot of the smaller essentials, and are ready to accumulate bigger ticket items, Steve Oblak, Wayfair senior vice president and general manager, said in a statement.

“Knowing that most couples are always on-the-go, we carefully designed Wayfair Registry to allow them to easily shop our extensive selection of home furnishings and décor, and manage everything on each of their lists on any device,” Oblak said.