First Look: Online baby registry giant Babylist opens its first physical store

An online registry that served more than nine million new parents and gift-givers in 2022 has opened its first permanent brick-and-mortar location.

Babylist unveiled its 18,000-sq.-ft. flagship in Beverly Hills, Calif.  The opening, which follows successful pop-ups in New York City and Los Angeles, comes as the company is looking to enhance its position in the  $88 million baby-products market and as BuyBuy Baby is closing its 115 stores nationwide.

The Babylist showroom is designed to reimagine the registry and baby shopping experience in a way that speaks to today’s modern consumer. It offers an experiential and interactive experience and gives customers the opportunity to test and try out products — and have some fun — in a stylish, upbeat environment. To develop the space, Babylist partnered with Grow, an independent women-owned firm led by mothers, and Poolside Etiquette, a woman-owned experiential event agency.

"Customers have always been at the center of every decision we make at Babylist, which has led us to build a simple and helpful digital destination," said Natalie Gordon, Babylist founder and CEO.  "We are excited to bring this online experience into the physical realm."

As to more showrooms in the future, Gordon said the company is focused on testing in this one site to start.

"While we don’t currently have plans to open more locations, we may open more based on what we learn from this location," she added. 

 The showroom features products from all key baby-related categories across a variety of brands. It includes six distinct nursery vignettes, as well as rooms inspired by real life such as a kitchen, parents’ bedroom, bathroom and more where consumers can see how the baby products will fit into their home.  The majority of the space is for testing and learning about products with the ability to add items directly to a registry.  An on-site boutique,  Babylist Shop,  has a selection of products available for purchase.

Babylist Bevery Hills also has plenty of photo opp moments, including one specifically for baby announcements. Fun games such as a working “claw” machine can be found throughout the space.

Some of the other highlights of the Babylist flagship include:

•A stroller trial area that includes a track with cobblestone, brick and other surfaces;

•A life-size car where customers can practice removing a car seat and stroller; and

•An “Expectful” lounge that also has nursing, feeding and pumping rooms available.  

In addition, the space will host community events, product launches, local meet-ups and more.

While Babylist Beverly Hills features many national and well-known brands, it also houses brands that don't have dedicated physical retail offerings.

"Brands understand that consumers wouldn't visit 15 different baby boutiques to learn about their products," said Lee Anne Grant, Babylist chief growth officer. "They also don't want to incur the expense of concepting and building out their own spaces, much less signing a long-term lease. Because we have such deep and long-lasting relationships with brands and a proven expertise in bringing them to life online, they approached us to co-create this showroom together."

Babylist describes itself as “the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby.” Utilizing proprietary data, patented technology and “unbiased” editorial guidance, it recommends expert-tested products to those starting their parenting journey. The platform supports revenue streams including direct purchases from Babylist and partner retailers and content-driven advertising.