Target Debuts New Online College Gift Registry

By Elana Goodwin on July 24, 2014

Bedding? Check. Headphones? Check. Closet organizer? Check. Desk lamp? Check. Scenic poster? Check. And where are all these items? In your virtual shopping bag, of course.

Online shopping has only increased in popularity over the last several years as making purchases by phone or computer became easier than ever, and now Target is rolling out a new online shopping platform catering to college students to adhere to this trend: an online gift registry for college students.

Target’s banner for the service reads “You’ll need all kinds of stuff for college, and Target Gift Registry makes it easy for family and friends to help you get it,” while elsewhere on the site it states: 

Once reserved for the soon-to-be-married and soon-to-be-parents, college-bound students can now use Target’s college registry to score everything from futons and flip flops to extra-long twin sheets and stylish storage solutions.

Similar to a wedding or baby shower registry, the new college registry will allow users to create, oversee and share their gift wish list on Target.com with others. For now it remains an online only service, though those who want to buy something from someone’s registry can purchase the item in stores if they choose rather than just ordering it on the web.

Photo Credit: businessweek.com

Categories students can register for items from include bedding, bath, kitchen and dining, furniture, electronics, storage and organization and decor. Those who want to buy gifts for college-bound kids can search for the student by writing in their first and last names within the college registry’s “find a registry” option or students can send a list of their registry items to potential gift-givers.

Target’s new online shopping registry joins the ranks of those offered by Bed, Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and more who also have registries and wish lists available for college students and other shoppers to utilize.

The new digital tool debuted in June, capitalizing on the month when high school students are graduating.

“Our college-bound guests were looking for an easy way to manage lists and share them with friends and family online,” said Target public relations manager Jenna Reck. “When we looked at the registry experience we already offered through the Target Wedding and Target Baby registries, we quickly realized that it was the right solution.”

Target’s creative team hopes that by using social media to advertise and promote the registry, both parents and their college-bound students will be compelled to check out or register at Target’s new online college shopping experience.

Though there are no plans in the near future to take the service offline as most people who will use the college registry would only really do so online, there’s a possibility that Target would add the registry into their mobile app to further appeal to their shoppers and registry users.

Photo Credit: abullseyeview.com

As of now, Target’s registry is still in the beta stage of development, and it will continue to evolve and progress as Target gets feedback from users about the quality of the service and what users like and don’t like about it.

Those who use the college registry may be able to get special discounts — including 10 percent off any items left on the students’ registry lists that they choose to buy themselves, and $10 off a home purchase of $50 or more when users sign up for the college registry as part of their back-to-college promotional campaign.

The most popular items students have been adding to their registries are mattress pads, shower caddies, storage containers, closet organizers and hangers, which range in price from under $10 to over $20.

So no matter what stage you’re at in college life — whether you’re a just-arriving freshman or an almost-out-the-door senior — the college registry has something for everyone, and it is easy to register for, navigate, and use.

So leisurely peruse their many different items, add them to your registry, and send them to friends or family as gift ideas for your birthday, your college send-off, your graduation, etc.

Target’s new online registry now allows you to get exactly what you want for your dorm, apartment, or house without ever having to get off your computer (and hopefully, without having to shell out major cash either) — what could be better?

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