Are Subscription Boxes Really Worth Our Money?

Boxes are so wonderfully convenient. I mean, they hold stuff – be it lots of stuff or just a little bit of stuff, big stuff and small stuff. From huge Ikea flatpack boxes to little jewellery boxes, it is fair to say, boxes have always been a fundamental part of our modern everyday commerce. In fact, so loyal have these boxes been to us, that their value is starting to rise above that of their contents.

You’ve likely heard of merchandise boxes such as Loot Crate and Nerd Block. Bought for the sheer mystery and the promise of good quality products with a retail value higher than that of the monthly subscription fee, it’s easy to see why these companies have been so successful. In a similar fashion, you can subscribe to boxes of food, alcohol, toiletries, stationary, underpants, socks and whale blubber. Except the last one, I made that up. I’m sure they could, though. You’re welcome, Alaska.

So, apart from childhood forts and the element of mystery, what is so awesome about all these boxes coming to our doorstep? The steady rise in online grocery shopping indicates a shift in our purchasing methods. With a box subscription, we are saving ourselves the time and energy required to wander shops and choose between several different brands or variations on the same product – given that so many of us work long hours to make ends meet, its hardly surprising that we would to simplify this process as much as possible.

On top of this, we can know exactly how much we spend on a specific area of products each month and it has been found that making monthly payments actually encourages to use up perishable goods and appreciate other products more, as we have a constant reminder of the money going out.

However, whilst we’re all sold on the convenience of having items selected for you and often at a hugely discounted value,  this also serves to highlight another issue – the fact that we are paying far too much for the products to begin with, especially when it comes to merchandise boxes.

Whilst upon purchasing one of these merchandise boxes, for example, you may attain £60 in random Batman items at roughly a third of the price, even at this hugely reduced rate, the major companies are still raking in massive profits from it – of course they are, otherwise they’d be bankrupt. In essence, you are buying one very expensive cardboard cuboid.

Just to demonstrate how ridiculous these cost price mark-ups can be, I typed ‘wholesale Batman keyring’ into eBay and found a design that resembles the kind of items I have typically found in these subscription boxes.

Notice it says £32.00 for ONE HUNDRED cutesy animé style Batman key rings. That’s 32p each if maths isnt your forté. This eBayer is able to make a profit from selling Batman keyrings at 32p each and it would be foolish to think that the big companies couldn’t easily charge half of what they already do. So, if all your money isn’t going towards the costs of the items, what are you really paying for? The box.