A gift to yourself

Who doesn’t love surprises? The thrill of opening a box not knowing what is inside, the rush of happiness when you see the gift — we never really grow out of this.

However, with the advent of online purchasing sites, it is usually a hastily ordered (and mostly unimaginative) gift that finds its way into our hands. Well, if nobody is pampering you, do it yourself.

Enter special subscription services — a novel idea wherein you purchase a special box filled with goodies. The box is curated by specialists each month and customers are not told what they will get. These can be either beauty products or jewellery pieces and the number of people getting interested in this unique idea is steadily growing.

Says Sruthy Ram, a vocal advocate of themed subscription services, “I read about this unique idea online and was instantly intrigued. I decided to try one and was delighted when I received it as there were samples of high-end products and some quirky apparel inside. It was so much fun and I am a regular subscriber now. The biggest draw is the anticipation and the surprise element.”

‘Sugarbox’ is one such service which gives full sized products which range from beauty products, gourmet treats and accessories to hand bags and apparels. Says Niharika Jhunjhunwala, founder of ‘Sugarbox’, “There is a huge change in the shopping behaviour of consumers with a majority shifting online. Hence, the subscription service is gaining a fair amount of popularity.”

It is the exploding beauty market in India that is driving the boom in subscription services, says Rishi Seth, co-founder & CEO of ‘My Envy Box’, a subscription service that provides beauty products from top international and local brands as well as designer jewellery.

“The per capita spend on beauty is rising sharply and the Indian consumer is getting more aware of the choices available. Also, they are wary of using any random product on their skin and are demanding quality along with value for money.”

It is not a random trial-and-error method that is employed while selecting products, says Kaushik Mukherjee, co-founder of ‘Fab Bag’, a beauty/grooming discovery and subscription platform.

“Each member is asked to fill in a short quiz that tells our experts a bit about their beauty preferences and this helps us deliver products that they are most likely to love. The brands are rated on multiple parameters of price, quantity, exclusivity etc,” he says.

These services cater to women with a penchant for pretty trinkets too. For example, ‘The Little Bauble Box’ is a jewellery subscription box where you get to pick the items you want and once you’re done wearing them, you can return the box for a fresh one.

Says Sonia John, a banker, “It is pretty confusing to keep up with all the new trends and new brands in the market. So it is great when somebody else does the research and picks out top products for me. I have just tried the service 2 times till now but I was pleasantly surprised.”

“It is an instant pick-me-up,” says Shweta Bhatt, a professional. “I get to try new brands from the comfort of my own house before finally deciding on one which suits me best.” So go ahead and treat yourself. A little bit of retail therapy never hurt!