Best Place for Your Baby Registry

I've heard a lot of pros and cons of having baby registries in different place: local stores, department stores, discount stores, online and more. After all is said and done, I still think the best store to have a baby registry is Babies 'R' Us.

While local baby supply stores may be good for your local economy, it is difficult for gift-givers from out of town. Department stores like Macy's, JC Penney's and Sears are nice for clothes and bedding, but they often do not offer the selection of equipment (strollers, cribs, car seats, playpens, swings, bottles, diapers, wipes, etc.) that Babies 'R' Us does. Discount stores such as Target and Walmart will give you a good selection for lower prices, but they have two detriments. The first is that their inventories change often, so your registry items may be gone even a month or two after you create your registry. The second problem is the return policy. Target has a notoriously poor return policy, setting a monetary limit on how many items you can return without a receipt within a year, even if the returned items are on a registry. Online stores like Amazon.com have the selection, but they change their inventory often as well. Also, the buyer has to pay for shipping and doesn't get to see or touch the items live--which is half of the fun of buying baby stuff! Plus, online stores exclude gift-buyers who are uncomfortable with using the Internet or paying for things online.

For these reasons, I suggest creating your baby registry at Babies 'R' Us. They have a very liberal return policy, especially for items on a registry. They have almost everything you can imagine you'd need or want for a baby, including clothing, bedding, equipment, furniture, diapers, wipes and formula. They have many locations nationwide, so out-of-towners can send gifts. They also have an easy-to-use online registry system that allows people to send the gift directly to your address.You can sign up for a rewards card that gives you large coupons for diapers and such, and Babies 'R' Us will give you a substantial coupon after your baby is born to finish purchasing items on your registry.

While it's finally your decision where to have your registry, or whether or not to have a registry at all, I recommend visiting a Babies 'R' Us as part of your search. The prices may seem a bit high, but it's worth the convenience for you and your friends and family.