Imagine receiving a box of your favorite things every single month.
You can get that with subscription boxes. For a monthly fee, you get a surprise box of the crafts you like. Or treats and toys for the dog. Or maybe cosmetics or clothing. It's like a birthday gift at your door, with less guilt than candy and more useful than flowers.
Subscription boxes got their start in 2010 with Birchbox's $10 monthly assortment of women's beauty samples. Today, there are thousands of options available that cover niches like pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and more that are all competing for the consumers' dollar, according to Money Crashers.
But the cost of those monthly gifts adds up and consumers eventually have to ask if it is worth it.
BarkBox, for example, ships four to five items per month. Like most services, the items are said to be a bargain, compared to retail. But, how do you know they are a bargain? And, without the service, would you actually spend $30 a month on stuff for the pooch?
Still, there is the element of mystery and fun, and that counts for something. For example, if you love makeup, GlossyBox offers $69 worth of items for only $20. It saves you a trip to the store, assuming you really don't want to shop for cosmetics and won't shop for them once you have the subscription.
Many subscriptions are customized. Clothing subscriptions, for example, often offer a stylist who begins to know your preferences. But, if you don't like the items, you'll have to return them.
And that brings us to the issue of returns. Some services offer easy returns. Some make it more difficult. But, according to consumer expert Mitchell McCall, people are likely not to return an item they've received. So, you could be adding to your stock of stuff you don't like. Craft subscriptions are famous that way, with crafters stocking up whole closets full of items they will use, maybe…someday. If they lose interest in the craft, then they have lots of stuff they don't need.
