I’ve been noticing a trend lately that has me a bit intrigued. And it all has to do with a simple box.
A few years ago I had found a website called birchbox. You sign up to receive a monthly box full of surprise samples of makeup and skin products for only $10. I think it also has tea too. I almost signed up for it, but didn’t. Mostly because I have sensitive skin and don’t use a lot of products with fragrance in them. And I don’t use a lot of makeup. So I’d probably end up with a lot of little samples of makeup lying around the house, creating clutter.
Then, I found a website called yarnbox. It’s just like the birchbox website, except instead of makeup and skin products you get sent things related to yarn and knitting. The price is a little more and you can opt to only get it every few months or so. I almost signed up for this one. I really did think about it. But then money was tight and I couldn’t logically justify doing it. And I have a lot of yarn in my stash already.
And then I started seeing other sites with the same model. Sign up for a price, get a box of random stuff you never thought you wanted. There’s one for nerdy things, I think called nerdbox. And I’ve seen a couple now that will send you clothes, selected by a stylist just for you.
Stitch Fix is the first one that I came across, after a friend on facebook shared something about it. I hadn’t heard about this type of box, and I like the idea. Instead of spending hours shopping and finding nothing that you like, you can instead have things curated and sent to you that you might like, and it’s good quality clothing. The price might be a bit high ($20 a box) but if you decide to buy one of the items in the box, that money is put towards the cost. I’m actually considering signing up for this, cause I like the idea of having a personal stylist that shops for me. And the price is not awful. You can also sign up for a monthly box, or just do it whenever you want one. I like having the option of choosing when you want the box. It’s not a huge committment to always get clothes.
I’ve seen a couple of other sites like this one, one for men called Curator and Mule. There’s another one called Bombfell, also for men. I’m thinking this could work out well for my husband, cause he hates to shop. If we found a box that always sent him things he liked, he might never need to go out shopping again.
The whole box subscription service idea could be the next big trend in specialized shopping. I see it as a way for people to outsource something they really don’t have time for. It also brings with it an element of surprise, because in most cases you have no idea what you’ll get from month to month in the box. And it might just give you more exposure to products you can’t find in a local store. It is a gamble though.
At this point I have not tried any of these out. But I think I will be soon, just to see what all the hype is about. And I like getting random things in the mail. But only if the price is right. I’d love to hear from anyone who has gotten a box like this, and what they thought of the service.
Here are some other sites I found, if you wanted to check them out for yourself:
Hero Crate
(This is not even a third of the options out there, just the most popular that I could find. But as you can see, there is a box out there for just about anybody.)