Gift a box of happiness

For someone who has almost everything, give them the element of surprise with a mystery box.

A decade ago, most consumers wouldn't know what a mystery box was, but the concept quickly gained significant momentum in the region, and rightly so! In the last two years alone, there have been nearly a dozen new monthly boxes coming to the fore, all addressing different audiences and different needs - everything from monthly cycles, new mothers, beauty clothing and even flowers.

Generally, these boxes have a central motive - to bring some kind of value to its consumers' lives, which ultimately varies on the intended focus of the box. Subscriptions for decorative items, for instance, primarily focus on the convenience of having it automatically delivered when needed, without the effort of going to a store (also known as replenishment subscriptions).

On the other hand, there are packages, such as Haul in One, Wear That, You Beaut, etc., that are focused on the curation of products as they ease the hassle of finding what the consumer might need or want, and place that responsibility in the hands of experts. Known as curation subscriptions, they focus on the best mix of products to suit personal preferences, and are estimated to dominate the market in the coming years, "on account of the benefits of curation subscriptions such as surprise and delight by providing new items or highly personalised experiences in categories such as apparel, beauty, and food," according to a report published in December 2019. In a lot of cases, the primary focus of subscription boxes is savings. The business model is built around providing the consumer a selection of products at a lower price than if they bought the same items individually via a retail channel.

Regardless of the focus a subscription box may have, they seem to be the new trend in the Middle East market because they align perfectly with one of the habits that we are too accustomed to- home delivery. We have everything delivered, from food, to dry cleaning, to medicines and now even fuel! A subscription box in this context just adds to a pre-existing habit of convenience and home delivery by extending it to new products or service offerings.

In addition, the advent of subscription boxes to the horizon have further opened up opportunities for personalised gifts that did not exist before. It has become increasingly common to gift a box from any of these subscription providers, which are both customised and cost-effective, while also being easily accessible and season-agnostic. It also takes out of the equation, the effort in scouting for hours in malls for the ever-elusive 'perfect gift'. Conveying your sentiments to a loved one is now easier than ever, more cost-efficient than it used to be, and is just one box away!

Whoever said happiness can't be home-delivered, clearly did not live in the time and era of mystery boxes!

S. Sanjeev is the founder of Haul in One, a UAE-based monthly personalised beauty subscription