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Following the news that Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us will be closing all of their U.S. stores, those with baby registries may be wondering what’s next.
The short answer? You might want to register somewhere else—unless your baby shower is, like, tomorrow. According to People, a company spokesperson says all customer and loyalty programs are currently continuing as normal—which includes rewards and registries—but only for for the next few weeks.
After that, it will be up to you to register somewhere else, or risk not having a registry at all.
Toys “R” Us also mentioned on Twitter that programs were still running, though they didn’t make mention of the fact that they’ll be ending soon:
All customer and loyalty programs are currently continuing as normal, including Rewards“R”Us, Geoffrey’s Birthday List and the Babies“R”Us Registry.
— Toys"R"Us (@ToysRUs) March 16, 2018
Planning for a baby is stressful enough without having to make a whole new registry, but picking out new favorites might not be as demanding as it seems. You can do most registries online without even having to step foot in a different store.
Here are some popular registries you might want to check out if you’re in need of a new one:
Target
It is seriously easy to register at Target. Everything can be done online, from setting up the registry to managing it if you decide to add or remove items. You’ll also get $50 worth of coupons and samples if you register, along with a 15 percent discount on anything left in your registry after the shower. You even have up to a year to return items.
You can find pretty much anything you need there, from clothing to bedding and accessories. They also have top brands like Chico, Fisher Price and Ergobaby, along with their own brand of adorable accessories called Cloud Island.
Amazon
For tech-savvy parents-to-be, Amazon also has a baby registry. And, as you probably know, you can find just about anything on Amazon. They even say they have the biggest selection of baby items on Earth (more than 270,000)!
You’ll get free 90-day returns on most items, and the registry acts as a universal registry, meaning you can add items from any website. (To be fair, you can do that at Target, too.)
Kohl’s
If you register with Kohl’s, you’ll get announcement cards to include with the shower invitations, as well as a 20 percent discount you can give your guests to use on your registry. You’ll also get 15 percent off any items your shower attendees didn’t purchase for up to three months after your due date.
Buy Buy Baby
Even if you don’t have a Buy Buy Baby near you, their registries are online as well, and they have a ton of items, from strollers and car seats to furniture and personalized gifts. Benefits include a goody bag with samples and coupons as a gift just for registering. You’ll need to pick that up in-store, though, so make sure you have a location near you if you want that particular gift.
If you know someone who is expecting a baby, you can even get a discount of $25 off a $100 purchase just for referring them to the registry.
Are you or anyone you know affected by the closing of the Babies “R” Us registries?
Kaitlin is a freelance multimedia journalist with a degree in journalism and psychology. Along with Don't Waste Your Money, she also writes for Simplemost, where she covers new product and food launches and overall general news. You can email her at [email protected] or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/KaitlinGatesWrites. More.
