Gifting Galore
Check out these other unique options for a monthly surprise at your doorstep.Healthy Surprise: Vegan, gluten-free and American-made snack foods to keep you eating right on the go. From $33 per month. www.healthysurprise.comPapirmasse Art: An art print of varying size from a contemporary artist with contemporary writing on the back. $5 per month. www.papirmasse.comOneRadiant: Four to five deluxe skincare samples per month, tailored to your skin type and tone. $12 per month. www.oneradiant.comMistobox: Whole-bean coffee samples from four roasters in each package. From $15 per month.www.mistobox.comPawalla: All-natural treats and toys for your dog or cat, catered to your pet's nutritional needs. From $20 per month. www.pawalla.com12Fold: A new pocket square every month, with tips on how to fold and wear it. From $30 per month. www.12-fold.comJulibox: Two cocktail recipes per month and the spirits and mixers you need to make them. From $36 per month. www.julibox.comMama's Got Mail is available in one-month ($49), six-month ($44 per month) and one-year ($39 per month) subscriptions. For more information, visit mamasgotmail.com.
In today's world of instant communication and Internet-based friendships, snail mail has taken a backseat-a pity, since nothing makes a person's day quite like opening the front door to find a letter or package just waiting to be opened. But one recent trend is going against the grain: gift box subscriptions. Whether purchased as a present for a friend or an indulgence for yourself, these monthly or quarterly surprises are guaranteed to provoke a smile.
The original Wine of the Month Club has been around since 1972, and magazine subscriptions are an American staple, but it seems as though a new era, more diverse and entrepreneurial than ever, has begun. Anyone can start a subscription business based on any theme (gluten-free treats, kids' crafts or home-brewed beer, to name a few), and with the help of the Internet, marketing can reach potential customers across the country or across the globe.
"The thing that I'm hearing back from my customers is that they don't have time for themselves, and this is time sent straight to their door," says Shannon Rinckey, a Signal Mountain resident who began her own gift box subscription service, Mama's Got Mail, earlier this year. The packages cater to busy mothers, and just four months in, Rinckey already has subscribers from Maine to Florida. "It mixes my background in marriage and family therapy with a fun way to support moms," she says. "Each month, I pick products that I love, and I put a therapeutic spin on it."
Although Mama's Got Mail has been a big part of her life since March, Rinckey says she had never heard of the subscription gift box business model until a year or so ago. "I'm a big fan of [author] Tim Ferriss. I discovered that he partnered with Quarterly Co., which partners with celebrities to send out quarterly boxes to their followers," she says. The intimacy of the business, launched in 2011, was an inspiration to Rinckey, who wanted to devote her time and talents to something she would be passionate about.
"I loved the idea of subscription boxes," she says. "I knew I couldn't compete with the more established ones, so adding a therapeutic twist to it is something kind of unique. I'm more in a relationship with my customers. I write a sort of love letter to them each month; I guess there's more of my personality in each box."
Perhaps suprisingly, Rinckey doesn't subscribe to any gift boxes herself. "I feel like it would influence me or I'd try to compete with them," she says with a laugh. "But I really love doing this. On the business side, doing something that you really, really love is everything. I would want my customers to know that it makes me happy knowing that I'm making them happy."
Rinckey's customers and other gift box subscribers alike certainly are happy-whatever theme they sign up for, they're guaranteed to feel like they're kids again at summer camp, receiving a care package full of surprises they're bound to love.