We all have a reason to celebrate during the year-end holiday season, with Christmas and other special occasions coming up. And this time of year, we’re also all in search of the perfect gifts—to give and to receive.
As we found out last year, holiday gift shopping during a pandemic means limited supplies in all areas, including toys, tech, and everyone’s favorite gadgets. The same is holding true for 2021, with the most popular gifts selling out quickly and shipping delays expected. That explains why the holiday shopping rush is already well underway, with even more than the usual amount of energy around it.
Nancy Lee, president of MyRegistry.com, the leading universal gift registry platform, reports that tens of thousands of people had already created online holiday gift lists by mid-October and shared them with friends and family, trying to get ahead of the holiday gift crunch. “We see a huge jump in Christmas wish lists each year,” says Lee. “But heading into this holiday season, we’ve seen an unprecedented increase in holiday activity already from early October, as people try to avoid the risk of not getting the gifts they want for themselves and their loved ones.”
More Eager Than Ever to Enjoy the Holidays
We’ve all become accustomed over the past year and a half to doing almost everything online, including a lot of shopping. This year, as the effects of the pandemic linger, we all want to find ways to make holiday celebrations special while still staying safe, and a digital gift list that can be managed entirely from home is a particularly convenient way to do it.
A holiday wish list has many benefits beyond the obvious: saving time and avoiding crowded malls. It also makes it easy to exchange the perfect gifts with everyone on our shopping lists, so every gift is a success—literally chosen by the recipient! There’s no need to guess what teenagers these days are into, or hope that your partner will pick up on the hints you’re leaving around the house. And if you have young kids, think about the ease of linking relatives and friends to individual wish lists when they ask about a gift for each child.
We’ve also been reminded over the past year-plus that time with loved ones is a precious commodity, and we’re placing more emphasis on what’s most important to us. Given that, maybe we don’t want or need more “things” in our homes, and we prefer to limit gift exchanges to things that are really meaningful. With that in mind, a curated wish list allows us to be intentional about gifting while it also eliminates waste and saves time spent returning unwanted gifts.
How Does a Wish List Work?
For many years, registries have been a popular and practical way to give wedding and baby gifts. The concept behind a holiday wish list is the same: All the gifts someone would like to receive are listed together, as well as the information necessary to shop for those gifts, making it the easiest way to let others know what you’d like to receive.
To create a wish list, people can use a universal registry service like MyRegistry.com, which allows users to combine gifts from all their favorite stores, including the big retailers, local independent shops, and any website, and then everything is easily shareable with one link.
“MyRegistry has completely changed the way people create gift lists for every gift-giving occasion,” says Lee. “Now, with Christmas and other year-end holidays coming up quickly, we’re encouraging new and existing users to create their holiday wish lists early to make it easy on themselves and the friends and family who’ll be shopping for them.”
MyRegistry’s intuitive system makes it easy to create, manage, and shop from a wish list, even for those who aren’t completely comfortable with online technology. MyRegistry has a browser extension that lets users go online and add items to their wish list with just a click. And the MyRegistry app turns a smartphone into an in-store scanner that can be used to add gifts while browsing in person.
If you’re someone who’s new to the concept of a wish list and feel shy about asking for gifts, think of it this way: There’s nothing more memorable than spending time with loved ones and friends during the holidays. You’ll be creating an even greater bond by exchanging gifts you each truly want or need. To get started, you can create a wish list for yourself, then encourage family and friends to do so too.
Take the Stress Out of Gift Giving
With so much going on for all of us right now, one thing you can simplify is holiday shopping by creating an online gift list. Everyone will appreciate having holiday gift shopping made a little easier.
Is Your Organization Hosting a Holiday Drive?
MyRegistry is an ideal way for nonprofit organizations to conduct holiday toy drives, other collections, and seasonal fundraising efforts online. It’s safe and secure for donors, employees, and volunteers, and in minutes, anyone can donate or give financial support to a cause that’s important to them. MyRegistry’s proven technology can power even the largest gift list. Click for more information about nonprofit holiday drives with MyRegistry.
