How To Create A Baby Registry In Singapore
While still a fairly novel idea here, baby registries are a practical solution to gifting exactly what the new parents need
By Gwyneth Goh -
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All parents know this feeling: you're receiving gifts from family and friends for the baby, but it turns out you now have two baby gyms in total, or three play mats, or one too many strollers to fit into your flat. And you can't return or exchange them, because you don't have the receipt. What are you going to do with all the extras?
Here's a way to prevent this situation: a baby registry.
While they haven't really caught on in Singapore yet, baby registries are an efficient modern solution for all parents-to-be, offering a convenient way to share your baby shopping wish list with friends and family. You'll receive exactly what you need and want — and they don't have to think too hard about what to get for you, while keeping to their budget. A win-win all around, we say.
How do baby registries work?
Baby registries have gained popularity overseas and are increasingly accessible in Singapore. Certain online platforms are now available to Singaporean parents for creating their registry, making it a convenient one-stop gifting solution for everyone involved. Simply create a registry at your chosen online store, browse and select the items you want to have, and share it with your friends and family. They can then follow the invitation link and choose which items on your wish list to get you. Most of these registries will "check off" the item when it's been purchased, so you avoid getting duplicates. Too easy!
Why not just accept red packets?
Here's the thing — while red packets are typical of Chinese culture, it's not for everyone. Usually, tradition dictates a minimum amount for red packets, which not everyone may be able to meet. Likewise, your group of friends or colleagues may want to pool their money to get you a thoughtful gift instead. Plus, it's always more fun receiving an actual present instead of just money!
Check out our list of websites where you can host a baby registry:
1. Motherswork
Proudly serving mummies in Singapore for 25 years now, Motherswork is one of the leading local retailers of mother, baby and kid products. It offers free scheduled delivery for your baby registry orders, and stocks a wide selection of premium brands which cover basically everything you could want for your baby, making it an ideal one-stop-shop for hosting your baby registry.
The website is easy to use, allowing you to add products to your registry before sharing it via Facebook, Twitter or email with a customised message for your friends and family. If you’re not quite sure what to add to your registry, Motherswork invites you to book a personal tour at their flagship store where you can browse and learn about everything you need in person. Each time an item on your registry has been purchased, you’ll get an update and finally even receive all your registry orders gift-wrapped! Perfect for pictures on the day of the baby shower.
2. Pupsik Studio
Another leading local store for toys, kids and baby products in Singapore, Pupsik (translated “baby doll” in Russian) is a popular online shopping destination for mums due to its competitive prices and wide product range. Carrying 13,000 products across 400 brands, this is one store where you’ll have few issues populating your baby registry.
Setting it up is also easy — first, create your Pupsik account if you don’t have one, next create your registry, shop and fill your shopping cart, add items from your cart to the registry, then share it with your friends! Your invitees can then shop your registry using the link you’ve sent them, and you can monitor which items have been fulfilled by logging into your account and checking your registry.
3. Playhao
This specialty toy store located at Forum The Shopping Mall offers award-winning quality toys that both parents and children can find pleasure in. These well-crafted toys are not just smart and stylish, but safe and durable. The brands you will find here promote a lifetime of intelligent, endless open-ended play, including Magna-tiles, Plus Plus, Cuboro, Grimm's, Grapat, Abel, Sentosphere, Crazy Forts, Trigonos, Fagus, Lubulona, Waytoplay, Sumblox, Turing Tumble and many more.
Naturally, these belong to the pricier toy bracket, which is a great place to have a gift registry since your loved ones will gladly purchase some of these things you can’t bear to buy yourself. Playhao partners with MyRegistry.com so you can list all your favourite items, adding from other stores as well, into a universal gift list that’s easily managed and shareable.
4. Amazon
If none of the above stores tickles your fancy, Amazon is another great and reliable way to get all your international baby brands in — like the organic cotton luxury bedding and lesser-known eco brands that aren’t typically stocked here, legit made-in-America products and unique handcrafted baby gifts, to name only some.
Although the Amazon.sg platform does not currently offer a baby registry service, Amazon.com does, and shipping costs are still quite reasonable for most smaller items. Simply create or log into your Amazon account and create a baby registry. Add items to your registry as your shop, and share it with your friends and relatives whenever you’re ready. You can even add Amazon Gift Cards to your registry options, or a diaper fund, and allow group giftings for registry items priced over a certain amount — you decide.
5. MyRegistry.com
Credit: myregistry.com
An easy way to create a “universal registry”, MyRegistry.com lets you set up your baby registry on their website, before adding a browser extension so you can click the “Add to MyRegistry.com” button whenever/wherever you’re surfing online and wish to add a baby product to your registry. This means you can select items from any store in the world and add them to your baby registry!
The thing to note is that since your guests will be purchasing items directly from the various stores in your registry, their purchases will be subject to the shipping policies of that particular store — so just make sure your chosen stores deliver internationally to Singapore. This platform is easy to use and also allows your partner to contribute to your registry list — a great option if you’re eyeing many different items from different stores.
6. Babylist
Credit: Babylist
Another free universal registry service very much like MyRegistry.com, Babylist lets you set up your baby registry on their website, before adding a bookmark button to your browser so that you can add products to your Babylist registry from any online store you like.
Again, you’ll want to make sure that the stores you choose ship to your local address so that your gift-givers won’t encounter any shipping issues or exorbitant international delivery fees. The platform also allows you to add a cash fund or diaper fund, ask for gift cards or, interestingly, request help or favours—such as a home-cooked meal, dog walking, housecleaning or babysitting!