A Groom's View
Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey Unveils Most Grooms Want to “Walk Down The (Store) Aisle” Alone
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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Grooms want to play a big role in the registry process - even selecting some items on their own - according to the 2003 Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey. Eighty percent of men getting married this year want to pick out items for a gift registry all on their own. No longer the exclusive domain of a bride and her mother, gift registries are attracting grooms who are helping their fiancées determine what gifts they'd most like to receive.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a major gift registry retailer, is responding to this trend by offering happy couples a wide variety of both traditional wedding gift selections and more male-oriented gifts like plasma-screen TVs and pool tables. Couples are registering as a team, and want a large array of gift choices that appeal to both genders all in one place.
'More men buy engagement rings at Sears than anywhere else - so we know a groom feels comfortable shopping here,' said Sharon McIntosh, director of life events for Sears. 'And even if a groom wants nothing to do with deciding the color of bridesmaids' dresses or picking out flowers, most want a say in picking out a stereo, his tools, or even kitchen appliances.'
According to the Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey, home theatre equipment (31 percent) ranks as the top item guys most want to receive from a gift registry, followed by tools (29 percent) and kitchen appliances (21 percent).
Sears Gift Registry/Add One
Guy Stuff is Key
Peter van Dijk, author of The Clueless Groom's Guide (Contemporary Books, June 2003), says that registering for gifts is one thing guys can 'own' - at least as much as their brides let them. Van Dijk recommends finding a store that offers more than just the standard bridal fare.
'You already have two toasters, two sets of dishes, two frying pans and two coffee makers. What you don't have is a really cool HDTV-equipped plasma screen TV and an air hockey table,' said van Dijk. 'You're best off finding a store that offers things with remote controls.' Van Dijk recommends that grooms seek out a retailer that offers 'guy stuff,' thus, 'increasing the odds of getting at least one gift you like.' In the survey, 92 percent of grooms said they wanted to register at a store that had 'guy stuff.'
No Bridezillas = More Involved Grooms
Brides can take partial credit for the influx of grooms in the gift registry fun. Of grooms who enjoy their experience registering, fewer than 10 percent said their brides act like 'Bridezilla' or listen to their mothers too much. And a whopping 82 percent of grooms report that they get an equal say in the gift selection process. Grooms are taking an interest in all aspects of the bridal registry - as nearly 75 percent reported personally selecting home fashions like bedding, lamps and rugs.
Secrets to Successful Scanning
'Now that there's a giant electronic gadget involved in the process, registering for gifts can be a manly thing,' said van Dijk. Couples who use Sears Gift Registry use an infrared scanner to add gifts to their registry electronically. But chances are, grooms may head out of bedding and linens and sneak down the aisle to the electronics and outdoor departments. The top three items on the Groom's Gotta-Have List include:
1. a Hitachi 42-inch plasma screen television,
2. a Kenmore gas grill and
3. a Harvard pool table.
Van Dijk has this advice for brides struggling to get their grooms involved. 'Start in the electronics department - let him register for one thing right off the bat. Then, maneuver him to another department and give him your top two choices for bedding. He will inevitably choose the one that is not floral or pastel.'
Click here for graphic
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - Grooms want to play a big role in the registry process - even selecting some items on their own - according to the 2003 Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey. Eighty percent of men getting married this year want to pick out items for a gift registry all on their own. No longer the exclusive domain of a bride and her mother, gift registries are attracting grooms who are helping their fiancées determine what gifts they'd most like to receive.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a major gift registry retailer, is responding to this trend by offering happy couples a wide variety of both traditional wedding gift selections and more male-oriented gifts like plasma-screen TVs and pool tables. Couples are registering as a team, and want a large array of gift choices that appeal to both genders all in one place.
'More men buy engagement rings at Sears than anywhere else - so we know a groom feels comfortable shopping here,' said Sharon McIntosh, director of life events for Sears. 'And even if a groom wants nothing to do with deciding the color of bridesmaids' dresses or picking out flowers, most want a say in picking out a stereo, his tools, or even kitchen appliances.'
According to the Sears Groom Gift Registry Survey, home theatre equipment (31 percent) ranks as the top item guys most want to receive from a gift registry, followed by tools (29 percent) and kitchen appliances (21 percent).
Sears Gift Registry/Add One
Guy Stuff is Key
Peter van Dijk, author of The Clueless Groom's Guide (Contemporary Books, June 2003), says that registering for gifts is one thing guys can 'own' - at least as much as their brides let them. Van Dijk recommends finding a store that offers more than just the standard bridal fare.
'You already have two toasters, two sets of dishes, two frying pans and two coffee makers. What you don't have is a really cool HDTV-equipped plasma screen TV and an air hockey table,' said van Dijk. 'You're best off finding a store that offers things with remote controls.' Van Dijk recommends that grooms seek out a retailer that offers 'guy stuff,' thus, 'increasing the odds of getting at least one gift you like.' In the survey, 92 percent of grooms said they wanted to register at a store that had 'guy stuff.'
No Bridezillas = More Involved Grooms
Brides can take partial credit for the influx of grooms in the gift registry fun. Of grooms who enjoy their experience registering, fewer than 10 percent said their brides act like 'Bridezilla' or listen to their mothers too much. And a whopping 82 percent of grooms report that they get an equal say in the gift selection process. Grooms are taking an interest in all aspects of the bridal registry - as nearly 75 percent reported personally selecting home fashions like bedding, lamps and rugs.
Secrets to Successful Scanning
'Now that there's a giant electronic gadget involved in the process, registering for gifts can be a manly thing,' said van Dijk. Couples who use Sears Gift Registry use an infrared scanner to add gifts to their registry electronically. But chances are, grooms may head out of bedding and linens and sneak down the aisle to the electronics and outdoor departments. The top three items on the Groom's Gotta-Have List include:
1. a Hitachi 42-inch plasma screen television,
2. a Kenmore gas grill and
3. a Harvard pool table.
Van Dijk has this advice for brides struggling to get their grooms involved. 'Start in the electronics department - let him register for one thing right off the bat. Then, maneuver him to another department and give him your top two choices for bedding. He will inevitably choose the one that is not floral or pastel.'
