By Amy Reisner
No one knew the impactbrAmazon would have on the world of e-commerce when it “opened up shop” in 1994.brNow, 22 years later, Amazon sells more than 200 million products. But there's abrnew kid on the block: monthly subscription box services. There's a box forbralmost everything, from art supplies to Japanese candy. Celebrities are evenbrgetting in on the trend. Kate Hudson, Tyler Florence and Giuliana Rancic arebrjust a few A-listers who have launched their own subscription box services.
Many of the services workbrthe same way: sign up for a subscription that renews at various times, andbrreceive your products in the mail. Some allow you to keep all the items; othersbrallow you to purchase online what you want to keep. These boxes have allowedbrconsumers to narrow down their options (with tangible items in hand) but relybron someone else to do the legwork.
To give you an idea ofbrjust what kind of options are out there, we've peeked inside five differentbrsubscription boxes. Let's take a look.
Birchbox
Health and beauty productbrshopping has become somewhat of a spectator sport. The market is saturated withbrmoisturizers, bronzers and eyeliners. With so many items to choose from, nobrwonder it can be overwhelming. And what if your newly chosen leave-in hairbrtreatment ends up treating your tresses badly? You are then left with a nearlybrfull bottle of hair product you'll never use. Birchbox is a monthly deliverybrservice that allows subscribers to try sample-sized products before making thebrdecision to purchase the full-sized version, making product-shopping overload abrthing of the past.
For $10 per month,brsubscribers receive five personalized beauty samples each month, which arebrchosen based on their individual beauty profile. (There is also a pre-paidbryearly subscription available for $110.) Birchbox ships free every month, so youbronly pay for the subscription fee and whatever full-sized versions you purchasebron the website, which offers more than 6,500 products. You can also shop onlinebrwithout a subscription to the monthly service.
Since its inception inbr2010, the company has amassed more than 800,000 active subscribers and reportsbrmore than $96 million in sales. Not a bad amount of coin for deliveringbrcosmetics and beauty products to customers' doorsteps.
Unique Feature: Birchbox Points can be earned every time you shop, invite your friendsbrto subscribe, or share info about your box on social media. Also, subscribersbrcan earn 50 points, or $5, by reviewing all five of their samples on thebrwebsite.
Faithbox
Everyone could use abrhealthy dose of spirituality each month, and the people behind Faithbox want tobrmake that happen. The monthly delivery service is made for individuals wantingbrto strengthen their Christian faith through devotion. The scriptures and inspirationalbrquotes in the daily devotional book, EverydaybrFaith, are based on a faith-related theme each month. Also included in thebrmonthly box are products from companies that “do good.” These products rangebrfrom coffee and tea to temporary tattoos and essential oils. Each product isbreco-friendly and ethically made for an overall positive vibe. You can purchasebra box for $20 (plus $5 shipping) each month, or subscribe to a three-month orbryearlong plan for a discounted price per box.
Unique Feature: Every box purchased provides three meals to hungry kids via Faithbox’s RicebrBowls partnership. In 2015, the company donated more than 100,000 meals tobrhungry kids via Rice Bowls.
Kiwi Crate
Are you the mother of allbrPinterest fails? All parents want to stimulate their child's intelligencebrthrough art, science and math using one great project to encompass them all.brBut after time spent finding said project, who has time to buy all thebrmaterials, and then—heaven forbid—what if you forget the glue or tape? KiwibrCrate aims to make learning fun for kids and at the same time, eliminate thebrhassle for parents.
For a monthlybrsubscription rate of $19.95 per crate (shipping is free), Kiwi Crate will shipbra crate to your front door that includes materials and inspiration for projectsbrrelated to a theme such as music, dinosaurs or colors. Each project is testedbrby kids to ensure that the various activities are developmentally appropriate,brand liked by both boys and girls. Projects may include arts and crafts, sciencebractivities and imaginative play, depending on which crate category subscribersbrchoose. There are also three-month, six-month and yearlong subscriptionsbravailable (with these options crate costs are discounted and shipping is stillbrfree).
Unique Feature: There are different crates for different ages: Koala Crates for ages threebrto four use inquiry-based learning; Kiwi Crates for ages five to eight usebrcreative science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) projects;brDoodle Crate for ages nine to 16+ are designed to build creative confidencebrthrough art and design; and, Tinker Crate, also for ages nine to 16+, usesbrprojects to encourage tinkering through science and engineering.
meowbox
Cats like to keep itbrfresh. You've probably noticed that after a few swats at a cloth mouse, yourbrfeline is “over it.” If it's time to get a new routine for Felix, whetherbrthat's with a new toy or yummy treat, meowbox has you covered. A subscriptionbrbox solely devoted to cats, meowbox sends five to seven carefully researchedbrtoys and other items—including treats—to your feline's front door.
Picky kitty? The food andbrtreats are either made with natural ingredients, grain-free, organic or locallybrmade. Even pickier kitty? You can request a toy or goodie-filled box sans foodbritems. Sign up for a subscription plan that works best for you: monthly ($32.95brper box), every three months ($27.95 per box) or every six months ($22.95 perbrbox). Shipping is free. Have a dog in your family? BarkBox is the same concept,brbut for canines.
Unique Feature: The company actively supports animal shelters and rescue groups. Withbrevery box purchased, meowbox donates a can of cat food to a shelter cat on thebrsubscriber’s behalf.
Stitch Fix
Like the idea of abrpersonal stylist, but still dread heading to the department store or boutiquebrevery time you need a new outfit or accessory? Stitch Fix is a monthlybrsubscription service devoted to bringing fashion to the masses who want to takebrthe worry out of their wardrobe. The company learns what you like—and what youbrcan live without—and sends you clothes and accessories accordingly.
After signing up, youbrfill out a Style Profile letting stylists know what you are looking for. Theybrwill handpick a selection of five clothing items and accessories that fit yourbrtaste, budget and lifestyle. There is a stylist fee each month of $20, but thisbrfee is credited to your account and can be used to purchase the items you wishbrto keep. You check out online to pay for those items, and for those that didn'tbrwork, you mail back to Stitch Fix in a pre-paid mailing bag. You have threebrdays to complete the process.
Currently, Stitch Fix isbrfor women wearing sizes 0/XS to 14/XL. And the company offers maternity andbrpetite clothing, as well. Stitch Fix works with more than 250 of the best up-and-comingbrlabels and brands such as Citizens for Humanity and Kut From The Kloth. It alsobrsends in-house brands. The items you receive are on average $55 a piece.
Unique Feature: Choose to receive shipments every two to three weeks, every month,brevery other month, or every three months. However, you can skip an automaticbrupcoming shipment. After selecting this option on your online account, yourbrsubscription will resume as usual for the following shipment.
There's no doubt aboutbrit: Subscription boxes have simplified the way we shop and sample new things.brGone are the days of trekking from store to store and schlepping your purchasesbrback home. We no longer have to visit multiple shops or even discover things onbrour own. Subscription services deliver the items you need (and the items you don'tbreven know you need) directly to your doorstep. And as the trend continues tobrexpand into different categories, we'll have that much more variety, allbrwrapped up in a cute, compact box. SS