Retail Registration for College Students

College is a major transition. For many students, college marks the beginning of life as an adult; check out our very own Sofia’s journey learning how not to be poor in college. It is a time characterized by the paradox of an instant increase in both freedom and responsibility. Finding a place to live, paying bills, shopping for groceries: it is easy to see how it can be overwhelming. And while the majority of this change is focused on the student, the transition can often be less than smooth for the parents as well. You might be inclined to think that most parents are counting down the days to having an empty nest, but more often than not that is just not true. So what can you do to bring some order to this chaotic stage of life? Target Discounts and Bed, Bath & Beyond Discounts may help.

Target recently launched their Target College Registry. Bed, Bath & Beyond unveiled a similar service a few months ago. Students can create an account, and then begin registering for things they are going to need in their new college living quarters. Friends and family can then view the list and choose to purchase items that they know the student needs.

The benefits for the student are obvious. They will be receiving necessities for life college life, while saving a little cash. However, this service is aimed at the parents as well as the student. The college registry is also for the Mom who wants to let her young adult know she cares about him or her, without feeling like she is infringing on their independence. Wal-Mart and Amazon both have ‘wish lists,’ which are similar but not as tailored to a particular group.

The concept of a gift registry has been around for a long time. So long, in fact, that it is kind of amazing that we haven’t seen it applied to more major life events. Perhaps this move by Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond with spark a new trend in retail.