If you wanted to send a box of ‘treats’ to a friend…

[StrangelyAmbitious]

No really an AIBU but I would love some opinions..
So for a while I have wanted to start my own side hussle…
Posting boxes of treats, I know it’s a flooded market but you never know if you don’t try…
If would be so kind to answer:

• if a friend posted you a box of goodies/treats, what would you like to receive in it?


• if you wanted to send a box to a friend, for what occasion would it be for? e.g maternity leave, just had a baby, to offer condolences

Thank you so much in advance for any replies :)

But you can buy a crossword book and post it yourself?

New baby is the main one. And however nice those baskets are they are not useful so packed with nice tissue in a box that can be recycled. I'd want a few things for baby and for mum.
A new house move one? With a UberEats voucher, bottle of wine and couple glasses and some nice chocolates.
But really the problem is not being able to choose all the things - unless you set it up that one could. Because so many gift hampers have about a third of stuff you don't want.

Yes but if you want to do it as a present gift box with other stuff like food, coffee, beer etc you've got the extra hassle of finding a box to put it in, make it look nice and post it too. Where as DIY hampers are quite handy in that you select products you want to send them and they make it up for you.

No idea if this would work but how about somethint targeted at those in care homes and hospices? I work with the elderly and relatives constantly ask what to get their loved one at birthdays/Christmas and 95% ends up being toiletries. It would be nice to have somewhere which takes into account what people may like at this time particularly as many lose mobility/cognition. And some people are much younger but sadly on palliative care and people have no idea what to get them.

You'd really have to research it or get some kind of experience/conduct research yourself.

Sounds like Don’t Buy Her Flowers.

I personally wouldn’t want edibles as I can’t resist them and binning them is a waste so would feel bad either way. Other consumables eg beauty products, toiletries tend to sit on the side for years cluttering the place up I’m afraid because I don’t know how to use them, where to find more if I do like them, and I don’t try most anyway as I have v sensitive skin and don’t want to muck it up. Also scents etc are quite personal.

I think it’s a good idea for kids stuff though - baby box eg nice muslin, toy, book etc but no idea how you go about sourcing things like that for resale. Also books or art stuff for older kids maybe.

Not a business but I do send edibles as a 'thinking of you' to friends and family who are going through chemo/having a rough patch/celebrating something quite small.

Edibles that will fit in a letterbox-sized box (literally the ones that fit through a letterbox and don't need the postie to knock) are very restricted by size. I have to be careful about how thick some biscuits are and even how much they rise so you need to plan out the overall volume very carefully.

Brownies and other bars that fit in a letterbox box can be thin and you need to be conscious of the season, depending on the risk of melting.

For me, the trade-off is that I bake some items smaller than I like to make sure that they will pack well in a box (there might be an impact on the texture) but I don't want people to be disrupted by having to go and pick up a missed delivery etc.

That said, there are lots of businesses that do this so maybe the difference is that I don't do it that way and might be using the mailing options that are readily available to me rather than tweaked.

I think a range of boxes would be good. One could purely be pamper stuff, one food related and one a mixture etc

I recently sent a friend some gin and chocolates to thank her. From a company though.

You have to be careful what you pack with what. Otherwise you end up with chocolates tasting of scented candle...

A shower gel or shower oil. Tisserand or Clarins or Aromatherapy Associates depending on your budget.

I’ve received various things in the past and to be honest I’ve not liked any of them (but appreciate the thought). If I send stuff to friends it’s one item, purchased from an independent shop and properly personalised, rather than a box of “stuff” with minimal personalisation and extra charged to put stuff together.

I'd like a selection of bulbs, sent just before the right season to plant them, with pictures of what they'll look like. You could offer the option to include a special trowel, gardening gloves etc.

Id like a gourmet cooks hamper.

I'd appreciate decent olive oil, nice herbs dried in bunches, some gourmet salt, maybe some nice seasonings from warmer climbs. A nice selection of nuts and some expensive cooking ingredients such as truffle oil, and vintage oak aged balsamic. I'd eat all of that.

I don't like hampers generally as at least 50% is not suitable and is given away. Especially pickles and jams!

I particularly dislike gourmet crisps especially vegetable or bean

I enjoy cooking and luxury ingredients would be my thing.

I hope you don't mind me cutting in but @StrangelyAmbitious be very aware of the rules for any platforms you use to sell your gift boxes. For example, although you'll find lots of sellers on Etsy with gift boxes full of candles, sweets, cakes etc., if you don't make the items inside yourself or they're not vintage items, you'll run the risk of getting your shop shut.

Plus some companies have 'bots' that run on platforms to check their items aren't being 'sold on' or that licences are in place. Licences would apply to things like Disney or Star Wars for example which are very popular for kids or babies gift boxes. Disney is particularly prolific at tracking people who sell unlicensed Disney products. They even shut a woman's Etsy shop because she'd used Disney character material to make things. The material was licenced but she wasn't the licence holder - so the fabric could be used for personal use but not for gain.

In answer to your question, I love a gift box! Nice chocolates (something from an independent place rather than supermarket or hotel chocolat stuff - I can buy or order those). Nice biscuits (personalised ones always go down well with friends). A nice candle if the person knows my taste.

You don't seem to have any expertise in any area to make these boxes work. If there's an area you love: Mediterranean food, coffee, tray bakes etc. then you could use knowledge of that field to curate your boxes in a way that would appeal to givers and recipients who also like that field. Otherwise it's just going to Tesco/Amazon and putting it in a box.

This does seem the wrong time to be setting up this business. They boomed in lockdown, but now with everywhere open, cost of living increases and increasing environmental awareness, people don't want to be giving and receiving boxes of tat.

I send these cocktails - I wouldn't send any product I haven't tried and liked. I've received boxes with sweets and with brownies, all lovely.

Something that I can eat or drink. I hate clutter.

My dream gift box would be a beautiful notebook and pen, a scented candle, hand cream, bath salts or oil, maybe a face mask. Maybe some chocolate or jelly sweets or turkish delight or nougat.

I like the idea of having pick-your-own items to put into the box so they are personalised.

It really is a saturated market and I know a bit about it through friends who have similar businesses. At the moment people are particularly feeling the pinch and less likely to shop for anything like this. I think whatever you do has to be really unique, otherwise it's difficult to get into it if you're just starting out (unless you have lots of money for advertising).

To be honest, I wouldn't pay someone else to send treats to my friends. I know what my friends like/dislike and I buy and make things (like candles and food treats) which I know they will enjoy. I don't believe any business could duplicate that.

@Tabitha005

Something like this?

www.socialsupermarket.org/search?search=Hampers

I'm tired. I read the title as 'box of threats'. I bet there is a good market for that!
e.g. the teenager box. Laundry away or I turn the Wifi off. Crockery in the kitchen or I take away your phone.

If the box was being sent to me I would not want lotions or bath stuff or candles. I would love stationery - coloured pens, nice paper!

I've actually been looking for some small gifts to send someone who has just started chemo. "Not another bunch of flowers" is lovely but way beyond my budget. I would love somewhere where I could choose 5/6 things that might be useful or helpful and have it packaged and sent. Things like unscented chapstick and hand cream, soft socks, gloves, scarves - stuff that is helpful to deal with the rigours of chemo even though they are not seasonal.

I agree. I would want to add my personal touch to it, the item that makes them smile and thinks of a shared event or joke.

Receive: Wine Or silver jewellery.
Send: I only exchange gifts with close family and they are always very personal, so I wouldn't use this sort of service.