How to Increase Sales with Gift Registry Kiosks

Building a registry is all but a rite of passage for some of life’s biggest moments. In fact, most people who are getting married (84%) or expecting a baby (75%) create a gift registry. Notably, consumers are now making gift registries for a variety of reasons, not just for births or weddings. For example, K-12 teachers short on resources for their classrooms go to an interactive kiosk to build a registry to solicit help. Young adults striking out on their own might use a gift registry for help furnishing their first apartment, and charitable organizations use gift registries to encourage donations of the items they actually need, steering people in the right direction.

The Upside of Gift Registry Benefits for Merchants

Offering customers the opportunity to create a gift registry is more than meeting a demand. It’s good business. Americans spend an estimated $19 billion every year purchasing presents through wedding gift registries alone. When a gift recipient chooses a retailer for its registry, it’s likely they’ll make their purchases there.

Furthermore, a gift recipient directing family and friends to a registry may be introducing them to the brand. The first time they come to a shop and make a purchase may be to buy a gift from a registry.

Then, when the retailer delivers exceptional customer experiences, new customers may be inspired to sign up for a loyalty rewards program. Retailers can incentivize loyalty program sign-ups with a promotion or discount for shoppers purchasing from a registry, to welcome them as new customers.

Elements of an Effective Gift Registry Solution

To satisfy shoppers looking for an easy-to-use gifting experience, retailers require a smart gift registry solution. The optimal design takes understanding the buyer’s journey – both for the gift recipient and the gift giver. Consumers creating the registry usually like to drop into a store to check out products in person before they register—especially for big-ticket items, where they want to be sure that quality matches the price tag. A user-friendly interactive kiosk at the store, complete with barcode scanners for collecting data on the items the consumer wants allows the retailer to deliver a positive wish-list building experience.

Retailers should also optimize experiences for people arriving at the store to shop from the registry. The interactive kiosk can help them find the list, use a QR code to download it to their smartphones, and a wayfinding solution that helps them locate the items from the registry with minimal friction.

Tips for Providing a Positive Gift Registry Experience with Interactive Kiosks

The software running on the gift registry kiosk should be tailored to the experience the retailer wants to provide. Gift recipients may appreciate some suggestions on which items to add to their list. A retailer can stand out from competitors by showcasing products based on the event.

Retailers should also monitor trends and reflect them in their gift registry solutions. For example, 84% of new parents are currently registering for essentials like diapers, wipes and other items they use on a daily basis. Current gift registries also reflect a rising focus on wellness. Demand is up by b26% for sound soothers, and expectant mothers also prioritize postpartum recovery, sending demand for these items soaring by 42% among gift recipients.

Additionally, retailers need to be aware of generational differences. Gen Z consumers tend to take a streamlined, less-is-more approach with a smaller registry and lower price points. Millennials, on the other hand, are more comfortable asking their social circle for higher-value gifts. Understanding these preferences is key to making the gift registry experience great, no matter the age group.

Retailers should also give customers a way to sort items by price and to confirm the items they’ve purchased are no longer on the list so they don’t have to worry about duplicates. Gift recipients will also appreciate a way to manage their lists from home. An online portal gives them a way to remove items if they’ve changed their mind later or if the item is out of stock. They will also enjoy real=time updates when a customer purchases an item from their registry to keep them informed – and to add to the excitement of receiving the gift.

Deploy Touchscreen Interactive Kiosks

In addition to software tailored to the gift registry experience, retailers also need to deploy the optimal hardware for the solution. Not all customers will be open to downloading an app, particularly if they’re new to the brand.

Interactive kiosks allow retailers to engage these customers digitally and help them easily accomplish the task they arrived at the store to do. A touchscreen interactive kiosk offers the most intuitive user interface for customers arriving at the store to register or to shop. The touchscreen allows them to navigate the system easily, particularly if it features projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreen technology like their consumer devices use. They’ll comfortably be able to move from screen to screen, zoom in on images, and enter information, adding to an efficient and pleasant experience.

Managing New Devices

An interactive kiosk is a smart way to manage gift registry service in-store. However, adding an IT asset requires managing, securing, and maintaining it. Devices built on the Android OS are simple to design and deploy, offer maximum uptime and budget-friendly TCO, and streamlined processes from setup to continuous maintenance. Android also enables controlling and updating information on all gift registry screens from a centralized system.

With the right interactive kiosk solution and the right management system, retailers can benefit from a gift registry solution that helps build their customer base and their revenues.

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