Happy Cyber Monday, folks! In the tradition of holiday cheer, I was recently interviewed for this CNN article on the power of gift registries and wish lists. Sadly, I wasn't quoted accurately in the bold portion of this quote:

"Registries provide a retailer with robust data on customer preferences, fuel their marketing ability and extend their reach to a new audience via gift buyers," says Leigh Duncan-Durst, founder of LivePath, a customer experience consultancy. "Plus, it saves money by reducing the chances that gifts will be returned."

Actually, I believe what I said is that, even if an item purchased through a list or registry is returned, the registries help ensure that consumer dollars stay with a given retailer through exchanges or credits - rather than cash-back refunds. :-)

I believe I also said a lot about the future of gift registries and wish lists, referencing social media. :-) Nevertheless, the ettiquite part of this article offers some great considerations.

Cheers, and happy shopping!