Vow to Get Organized: The Container Store Launches The Gift Registry

DALLAS, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Container Store®, the nation's originator and leading retailer of storage and organization products, today introduces The Gift Registry,  www.containerstore.com/registry, which will allow customers to easily create a registry online or in-store for any celebration that calls for a little (or a lot!) of organization, including:

• A Wedding – a selection of 10,000 innovative storage and organization solutions coupled with The Container Store's expert organization advice will help couples make the transition into their happily-ever-organized home.
• A New Baby – the arrival of a baby brings a lot of new (and necessary) "stuff" into a home. But where to put it?  The Container Store has thousands of solutions to help maximize space and help new parents stay organized – even beyond the baby years.
• Off to College – The Container Store has been helping college students (and their parents) make the most of the small spaces in dorm rooms for more than 33 years.  Giving college-bound students the gift of organization will surely set them up for great success!
• Housewarming, Anniversary, Birthday and More! – no matter the occasion, The Container Store's multi-functional solutions are always the perfect gift.

The Gift Registry's most unique feature is Group Gifting for Your Dream elfa® Space. elfa is a premiere modular shelving and drawer system that is exclusive to The Container Store and has been the company's best-selling product since its debut in 1978. So many couples don't know what size closet, pantry, office or garage space they are going to have in their new home and this gives them the option to register for the organized closet, office, pantry or garage of their dreams.  Guests can contribute a monetary gift that will be applied to the cost of the organized solution in the form of a special "Contribution to Your elfa DREAM Space" gift card.

"We're the experts when it comes to helping save space and ultimately, valuable time - and who couldn't use a little more of that, especially after a big event like a wedding, graduation or a new baby?," said Melissa Reiff, President, The Container Store. "Our customers have been asking us for a registry program from 'their favorite store' for some time, so we're thrilled to launch The Gift Registry that offers a seamless shopping experience for the registrant and gift giver alike."

"Our same-store sales are trending to be the best in company history.  This strong financial performance and focus on customer service has allowed us to continue to innovate and develop new programs for our customers like The Gift Registry.  Layering on this new program as we head into our the busiest time of year with the holidays will help sustain our momentum," continued Reiff. 

Consistent with the retailer's focus on customer service, The Gift Registry will also feature elements like email updates on items with limited inventory and a real-time look at gifts purchased for the registrant. A complete list of The Gift Registry features, include:

State-of-the-Art, In-Store Kiosks and Scanning Devices for Creating a Registry:  Touch-screen kiosks will be located in the front of each store and in the elfa section where customers can create, edit and print registries while having full access to The Container Store website.  There will also be touch screen scanning devices that will allow registrants to easily add to their registry in the store. 

Gift Packaging for Online Purchases:  Items can be gift packaged if they are being shipped to a gift recipient. The cost to gift wrap each item with our specially designed gift wrap will be $5.50.

"Our Recommendations": With more than three decades of experience as the storage and organization experts, The Container Store knows what registrants need.  Registrants will find top product picks to help them get started on creating their registry for all areas of the home, including closet, kitchen, storage, office, living, travel, bath, laundry and garage.

24-Hour Access to The Gift Registry: Registrants can access their gift registry any time on our website to add or delete items and to review items that have already been purchased. Guests can access the gift registries of friends and family any time on our website to review items that have already been purchased and make a purchase. The gift registries are updated with real-time information, which eliminates gift-giving duplication.

Email Updates: Registrants can choose to receive email updates regarding the status of their registry.

Items with Limited Availability: In the event one of the items on a gift registry is discontinued, the registrant will be alerted on their registry web page so that they can make another selection.

Shipping: Registrants can provide different addresses for gifts purchased before and after their event.  Guests will be able to easily ship to the registrant's preferred address (the actual address will not be visible to the guest).

Returns & Exchanges:  The Container Store is proud to offer an easy return process for The Gift Registry customers. Customers can return or exchange items with or without a gift receipt and receive a Merchandise Credit. There is no time limit for returns with gift receipts.

Special Gift for Creating a Registry:  The Container Store will be giving a Translucent File Tote to registrants to help keep them organized for their event.

10% off to Complete a Gift Registry After the Event:  After the event, The Container Store will offer registrants a 10% off savings certificate to help them complete their registry.  This discount will be issued two weeks after the event date and will include one single-use barcode that will expire one month from the issue date.

Gift Receipts: Employees will be able to print a gift receipt on demand for any product.

Dedicated Customer Service Line for The Gift Registry: As part of The Container Store's commitment to customer service and ensuring the registry process is organized and stress-free, the company has created a dedicated customer service line for these special registry customers at 855-827-4438 (TCS-GIFT).  Organization experts will be available Monday through Saturday,   8 AM –  8 PM and Sunday, 9 AM – 7 PM (Central Time).  The Container Store has also recently launched its new LIVE Chat service, providing customers with another channel to ask questions, no matter if they're big or small, about products, order status, etc. 

About The Container Store:

The Container Store currently has 50 locations across the country and offers 10,000 time- and space-saving organization solutions.  The Container Store offers free closet design services every day in its stores and online using elfa, the premiere shelving and drawer system.  Visit www.containerstore.com for more information about store locations, the product collection and services offered.  Sales for fiscal year 2011 will approach $650 million.  The Container Store is privately held.

SOURCE The Container Store