David’s Bridal Acquires Digital Gift Registry Startup
Wedding retailer David’s Bridal has acquired Blueprint Registry, a Seattle startup that aims to simplify the gift registry process. In a press release, David’s Bridal called the deal an asset acquisition, though all 13 of Blueprint Registry’s employees will remain on board. Blueprint Registry Co-Founder Nevin Shetty told GeekWire that the company will remain independent, but it will have the backing of David’s Bridal to improve its technology offerings. Co-founders Shetty and Lizzy Ellingson will take on the respective titles of senior vice president of registry and chief design and product officer. They will report to Scott Key, CEO of David’s Bridal. Blueprint allows users to create registries and wish lists using shoppable room-by-room blueprints of their homes that others can use to find and buy gifts from retailers like Amazon.com, Williams-Sonoma, and Crate and Barrel.
Total Retail's Take: Acquiring a gift registry business seems to be a logical step for David's Bridal, helping the brand extend its reach further into the wedding planning process. Blueprint Registry will help David's Bridal make the wedding process simpler for its customers (i.e., brides), enabling them to go from finding the perfect wedding dress to setting up their gift registry all at once. Furthermore, acquiring the digital startup will bring with it an infusion of tech talent into David's Bridal, which figures to help the traditional brick-and-mortar retailer grow its online business, a challenge for many retailers in similar situations.
