The site, dellajames.com, is expected to launch this week and will be backed by a glitzy $4-million advertising campaign, the Journal reported.

The new site is noteworthy because it has secured contracts with a group of high-profile retailers that will share their existing registries, giving it an edge in a crowded market, the paper said. In addition to Neiman (Nyse:NMG) , Williams (Nyse:WSM) and Crate, a unit of Germany's Otto Versand, the site will gather registries from Dillard's (Nyse:DDS) , sporting-goods company Recreational Equipment and regional stores such as Gump's in San Francisco, the newspaper said. The site gets a percentage of every purchase made through its service, but consumers pay no fee, the Journal reported.