Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon fulfills wedding-registry vow
The Beatles maintained that all you need is love. Yet newlyweds these days require matching linens as well, so Amazon.com has unveiled a new wedding registry.
Couples planning their wedding can register at Amazon.com's wedding site, where they can select from kitchenware, electronics, tools and other products the company carries.
It was once predicted that wedding registries would become an e-commerce gold mine. They were supposed to help draw consumers to new Web sites and limit returns. In 1999, companies such as Williams-Sonoma, Macy's and eToys rushed to set up registries.
But like most of the rest of online retail, the gift registry sector went through a period of consolidation, and many companies were acquired or closed. Amazon invested in online bridal registry Della & James two years ago but has waited until now to launch its own registry.
WeddingChannel.com, which hosts the wedding registries of Williams-Sonoma, Tiffany & Co. and Macy's, is among the most visited online wedding registries.
Amazon's registry could help the e-tailer boost sales in its Electronics Kitchen and Housewares product category, which saw negative growth in the fourth quarter.