Home improvement stores get slice of bridal registries

A survey of 12,500 couples conducted by the Knot Wedding Network found both conventional and not-so-traditional results when it looked at bridal gift registries.

The top three favored retailers -- Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Macy’s -- retained their dominant positions, with nearly 70% of couples creating their primary registries in these stories. But 3% of the future brides and grooms also registered with Lowe’s, and 2% registered with Home Depot.

Kitchen, bed and bath remain the most popular categories on a couple’s wedding registry, with kitchen appliances/electrics topping the list at 91%. Less traditional gift items like power tools (18%), outdoor gear (20%), lawn care/patio items (19%), and grilling/outdoor entertainment (39%) were also being registered for at a variety of stores, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears and Amazon.com.

As expected, the Internet played an increasing role in registry setup and management, although in-store registry setup still dominated at 57%. The economy may have influenced the decisions of the engaged couples, all of whom had weddings scheduled for 2009. The survey saw a 50% increase in couples registering for honeymoon-related expenses, and more than four out of 10 couples claimed that the current stage of the economy affected their registry choices, meaning that they were considering their guests' budgets.

The survey was fielded in July and August 2009 by DRI on behalf of the Knot Wedding Network, parent company of TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com.