NEW YORK, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO; www.xogroupinc.com), a global media and technology leader and creator of the top two wedding websites, TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, released the results of its 4th-annual The Knot Market Intelligence Bridal Registry Study today. The most definitive report on wedding registry research from The Knot Market Intelligence, a research division of The Knot, the 2011 Registry Study tracks the $10 billion wedding gift market by capturing detailed information on wedding registry decisions, influences, and product and retailer choices from nearly 12,000 couples who were married in 2011.

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"Since four out of five brides use and trust TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, we are the only source that's able to provide this level of detail and insight into bridal registry behavior and trends," said Howard Ladd, director of insights at XO Group Inc. "The 2011 Bridal Registry Study offers unparalleled information and understanding of the multibillion-dollar gift registry industry and the mind-set of today's couples who register for wedding gifts."

2011 REGISTRY STUDY: TOP 10 REGISTRY STATISTICS

1. How many US engaged couples register? 1.5 million
2. How many stores do couples register with? 3
3. What are the top three stores? Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Macy's
4. When do brides register? Nearly 6 months before the wedding, on average
5. How many items do couples register for? 153
6. How much is the average gift registry worth? $5,158; 42% are valued at higher than $5,000
7. What are the most popular registry items? Bakeware (91%) and kitchen appliances (90%)
8. What are the top registry item qualities? Practical (53%), casual (33%) and traditional (31%)
9. How much do couples expect to purchase themselves post wedding? 24% of their registry
10. How involved are grooms in retailer selection? 69% of grooms are involved

2011 REGISTRY STUDY: TOP 5 REGISTRY TRENDS

1. Registries continue to shift toward casual entertaining and items.

• Fueled in part by millennials entering the registering phase, two in three couples (66%) labeled themselves as a "casual entertainer," and one in three couples (33%) described their registry as casual.
• Casual/everyday china continues to grow, while formal/fine china continues to decline. Seventy percent of couples added casual china to their registry in 2011, compared with 64% in 2008. Only 29% of couples registered for formal/fine china in 2011, compared with 36% in 2008.

2. Accessing registries via smartphone is a growing trend.

• Out of the 75% of brides who own a smartphone, nearly 2 in 5 (37%) have accessed or managed their registry from it.
• Other popular uses include browsing registry retailer and item options, with one in four brides (24%) using that method, and adding items via retailer website or app, with 18% of couples using that method.

3. Use and awareness of universal registries is growing.

• Nearly 1 in 10 couples (9%) created and used a universal registry, like GiftRegistry360.com. This group has almost doubled since 2010, when only 5% of couples had a universal registry.
• The ability to add products from multiple sources is a key component of what what's making universal registries' popularity grow, with 78% of couples with a universal registry choosing it because it allowed them the freedom to add products from anywhere on the Internet. Another popular reason? About two-thirds (65%) chose a universal registry because they could merge items from existing registries into one comprehensive list.

4. Wedding websites and social networking platforms are gaining traction in registry communication.

• For the fourth consecutive year, the creation of personal wedding websites has grown, with most couples using them as a registry hub for guests. Two in three couples (64%) used a personal wedding website to communicate registry information to their guests, compared with 61% in 2010, 53% in 2009 and 47% in 2008.
• Using a personal wedding website to communicate registry information has grown 36% since 2008.
• In addition, social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter continue to be a popular way to communicate registry details. In 2011, 11% of couples shared registry details via a social networking site versus a mere 5% in 2009.
• Relying on friends and family members to spread the news about registries continues to decline, with only 65% of couples using that method in 2011, down from 66% in 2010 and 71% in 2008.

5. Group gifts are expected and received.

• When it comes to gifting, two-thirds of couples included higher-priced items in expectation of group gifts. Their guests complied, with 70% receiving at least one group gift. 
• Of those who received group gifts, more than three out of four (77%) received one to three group gifts, and one in five (19%) received four to six group gifts.

About The Knot Market Intelligence 2011 Bridal Registry Study

More than 12,000 qualified couples – of mixed ethnicities and education and income levels – were polled across 50 states. All qualified respondents:

• Were 18 or older
• Were planning/had a wedding in 2011
• Were in the process of/had completed registering

The survey was fielded August to September 2011 and was administered by Digital Research Inc. on behalf of The Knot Market Intelligence Group.

About XO Group Inc.
XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO; http://www.xogroupinc.com), formerly The Knot Inc., is a global media and technology leader devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives. Our family of premium brands began with the #1 wedding brand, The Knot, and has grown to include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest, The Bump and Ijie.com. XO Group is recognized by the industry for being innovative in all media – from the web to social media and mobile, magazines and books, and video – and our groundbreaking social platforms have ignited passionate communities across the world. XO Group has leveraged its customer loyalty into successful businesses in online sponsorship and advertising, registry services, ecommerce and publishing. The company is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (XOXO) and is headquartered in New York City.

SOURCE XO Group Inc.