Received a box of surprise schtuff from intheBOX. The concept of this quarterly, subscription-based box is wellness and fitness. Ironically I’m writing about this while down with flu. The box contents, which differ with every shipment, comprise of trial sized, natural, healthy, and eco-conscious products chosen because of their quality, preservative-free ingredients, or because they are hand/locally made, or have a social impact. There are two different subscription boxes offered by intheBOX: the Signature box and the Fitness box. Mine’s a review set so it’s kinda a combination of both. More on the content later.
The first impression I get from this box is how painfully plain it is. There is no visible branding whatsoever on the box, other than a printed welcome message on the side after opening the box. Even with that, I was confused at first what’s this box all about and who sent it. The cardboard box itself was tied with string when it arrived, and I found a thank-you card inside… hopefully printed on recycled paper, if we’re gonna stay on the eco-conscious theme.
Look, I totally understand eco-consciousness and keeping the carbon footprint minimal. But I also firmly believe that branding is a critical element in any business who wishes to garner visibility and build consumer loyalty. This lack of branding visuals and inconsistency between LOHASIA and intheBOX messaging is confusing. There’s zero impact on who/what your brand is because there’s nothing to grab onto – logo? No. Tagline? No. Brand colors? No. (I went to visit the website, it’s way too generic.)
Inside the set I received, there’s a travel-sized soy wax candle from Thai brand BsaB, shampoo and conditioner mini-sample duo from ComoShambhala, Tangy Tangerine lip balm from Anahata Living, yoga mat strap from Madana – Singapore homegrown yoga brand, a few sachets of Unisoy Black Soy Milk Powder, a bottle of Organic Blue Pea Cider, and more. There are also some discount vouchers for Joogo Juice and Lush Spa at Singapore Polo Club. Everything’s photographed below.
When subscription boxes first came into the scene I thought it’s a brilliant idea because they introduce different products that have been selected to convey an overall theme. In every subscription box, what I expect to receive is discovery and value. Therefore I’m reviewing this box with these two criterias in mind.
Since the items in this box are trial-sized samples, after looking up prices online, I have listed out values proportionate to the volume based on full-sized versions. The only item price that I’m unsure about is the soy wax candle; when I called the brand, the girl at the other end of the line told me $20-$38 even though I told her this is a suuuuuuuper small travel-sized one. I don’t think she understood me and my chest was feeling all congested from the flu, so I eff-ed it and hung up. Seriously, no one in their right mind would spend $20 on a 4cm x 4cm x 4cm candle, puhleeeeeeeze.
Anyway here’s the breakdown of value for every item in the box.
Cost of subscription box: $49/quarterly, or $160/yearly.
VALUE FACTOR:
As you can see, this box is of excellent value as the items included exceeded the subscription price. Honestly I was very surprised as the content in the box didn’t look it at all. Plus I get majorly turned off by service vouchers whenever I see them. I think they are baiting tactic to expensive service package signups and useless fillers to increase the box value. Product discount vouchers are alright in my eyes, but always read the fine print whether there’s a minimal spend prerequisite. So I added up the box contents with and without the discount vouchers, but just the products alone, minus the questionable soy candle price, added up to more.
DISCOVERY FACTOR:
Most of these brands I have never heard of before so it’s nice to be introduced to them. Still, I am underwhelmed by the curation. These items aren’t very likely to convert me to full size purchases.
VERDICT:
I’m definitely on-board with the concept of a wellness/fitness subscription box. However, this box is meh since the contents aren’t very exciting. I can only hope that there are enough eco-friendly, wellness-driven products and brands out there that want to reach potential customers in Singapore through intheBOX. Perhaps other boxes in the subscription can up the discovery factor and truly provide curations that resonate with the earth-loving, tree-hugging, healthy-eating demographic. I’m in that demographic (still working on the healthy-eating part though) and I’d genuinely love to be introduced to brands aligned in promoting wellness and a balanced lifestyle.
LOHASIA/intheBOX, can we do something about your branding together? I have some ideas up my sleeves, so…
Hey I just met you
And this is crazy
But here’s my number
So call me maybe
It’s hard to look right at you baby
But here’s my number
So call me maybe???
MB.
