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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

87 replies

StrangelyAmbitious · 04/05/2022 14:45

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 :)

OP posts:
thecurtainsofdestiny · 04/05/2022 17:35

@IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere

This might be like what you are looking for?

tartanblanketco.com/collections/gift-boxes

Fridaysgirl17 · 04/05/2022 17:40

I love this a family member did this for my mum Christmas 2020,she was fighting cancer,they put in some lovely towels,blankets,some chocolate she liked,puzzle books,notecards etc as she loved writing us cards & we couldn't see her due to covid,s travel coffee cup for her tea as she was traveling for treatment every day 2+ hours each way,& she loved a cup of tea,after her treatment. It was special to my mum & very thoughtful

thecurtainsofdestiny · 04/05/2022 17:40

Sorry OP, realise I haven't answered!

There's so much of this kind of thing out there so I think you'd need to find something that's not already being done.

I'd want it to be more special than I could make it myself - so not just collecting things that I could easily get. I sent someone a Jenga game made of chocolate blocks once - I think the seller made it him/herself.

newnamethanks · 04/05/2022 17:56

Borough Box used to do a nice collection of snacks, flavoured popcorn, crisps etc. My favourites arrive from Betty's of Harrogate. A family of Fat Rascals which are a kind of cross between rock cakes and scones or a box of fondant fancies. Dont open them alone and unprepared to share; that way fatness lies. And never order them for yourself in case you start a regular order.

HerbivorousRex · 04/05/2022 18:08

I live abroad so struggle to make care packages for my friends because international shipping would be a very expensive nightmare. I’ve found that the boxes on the market at the moment don’t offer much choice or customization options.
There might be a market for you to make up and send a box full of things that the person has sent you links to (e.g. this bubble bath from Lush, these chocolates from Hotel Chocolat, this book from Waterstones) and then you package it nicely and send it out.
Or making boxes with a long list of different customization options (e.g. rather than just choosing a colour/scent you can pick from a long list of different items with the prices for each item clearly marked so you can add it up as you go along).

MyJobisNotOuting · 04/05/2022 18:24

Nothing
I have a family member who does this- she sends random gifts from small companies. All a total rip off.

The world has too much tat already

StageRage · 04/05/2022 18:29

I have variously received
a box of florentines
a selection of artisan cheeses
a tin of aromatherapy balms

v nice.

scottishnames · 04/05/2022 18:52

Just no, OP For instance, I dislike chocolate or anything sweet, such as cakes or biscuits. Brownies are to me disgusting - they taste of raw egg yolk, however posh. I also hate flavoured teas. Just weak darjeeling - no milk, no sugar, no lemon, cheap fair trade brands fine, indeed preferable - are what I like. (I like black coffee also - so no cappucino or similar.) I don't wear bedsocks. I hate candles - the smell makes me feel ill and they are so very, very bad for the environment.
Gift boxes - I am sorry - just mean to me that the sender can't be bothered to think about me - or anyone else - as an individual. That's an insult, not a present.

If you must, then as previous poster suggested, make it ecological and recyclable. But - to be honest - I still would not thank anyone for anything sweet or 'fluffy', however recycled.
I know I am not alone.

If you really want to continue, then I like the previous poster's suggestion of offering a wide and well-thought-out menu of options. Some of these should include - at least in my opinion - a gift to a good cause. If I'm ill, I don''t need 'pampering'. I just want to be left alone with the appropriate medical support to try to get better. But the thought that by a gift from a kind well-wisher I've somehow helped someone in MUCH worse need might just perhaps encourage me.

Having said all that, when my very elderly mother was in hospital I sent her a really nice, expensive - pink - bed-jacket. It was useful. She was pleased. So rather than lots of useless and generic bits and pieces, perhaps focus on single actually useful items??

user1745 · 04/05/2022 18:58

To be honest, while a treat box is a lovely idea, I would prefer to do it myself rather than buying a ready made one. I could make it more personal to the recipient, at probably not much extra cost, and I would probably enjoy the process of shopping for bits to put in it.

I believe there is a market for e.g foreign sweets and snack boxes but it would have to be imported food, not stuff you can buy over here.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 04/05/2022 19:01

Thank you @thecurtainsofdestiny I will look at those.

Tabitha005 · 04/05/2022 19:23

thecurtainsofdestiny · 04/05/2022 17:18

@Tabitha005

Something like this?

www.socialsupermarket.org/search?search=Hampers

@thecurtainsofdestiny EXACTLY! I hadn't heard of this site, so thanks!

Saracenia · 04/05/2022 19:35

No fluffy socks, soaps, candles, cosmetics. I have a real aversion to a lot of artificial scents and they make me gag. I've got enough socks and scarfs to open a shop. So edibles like many of the others here. Always chocolates or cake really.

stuntbubbles · 04/05/2022 19:50

You mean like

www.dontbuyherflowers.com/
www.notanotherbill.com
hamperlounge.com/
cutterandsquidge.com/
montyandridge.co.uk/
www.notanotherbunchofflowers.com/
treatboxuk.com/
Etc

There are 100s of these companies now. Unless you’ve got a USP and fantastic marketing, I think it’s a non-starter.

HollowTalk · 04/05/2022 19:56

Why are you trying to start a business in such a saturated field? Surely that's something to avoid?

Notinthemoodforthis · 04/05/2022 21:55

REALLY nice brownies. Without a doubt, nothing else.

BreadAndWater · 04/05/2022 21:58

Look on etsy
Loads of examples on there

Confusedmeanderings · 05/05/2022 02:40

A friend recently put together a treat box for me because I have breast cancer. I loved it! All the things in it were chosen with the side effects of chemo in mind, so there was a lip balm, moisturiser (Aveeno, which is often recommended for cancer patients), ginger sweets and ginger teabags, a head scarf, lovely soft socks, a sleep spray, dark nail varnish, sanitiser, loo roll with aloe vera (made me laugh, but she was right - I did need it!), mouthwash for gum health, a journal and pen. There were a few generic treats as well like chocolate. There are cancer care boxes out there but the things in them always seem a bit cheap and they are expensive.

mowly77 · 05/05/2022 03:00

Agree that best suggestions are super personal and massively saturated market. @Onlyforcake ‘s gift sounds like the best one … or the one I personally would
like the best … coincidentally I am also ill and going through chemo. Website called not another bunch of flowers does curated boxes that I sent to a friend going through a rough time that I thought were great. Not cheap but good. You could include a book, such as good contemporary fiction, and a nice premade cocktail or two, a fancy snack to go with the cocktail and things like hot chocolate sachets/kits for children etc. That’s what I put together anyway.

I don’t particularly want sweets and chocolates as my sweet tooth has gone, or clutter, or hand cream etc. But a friend sent me for example a lovely pair of hand knitted socks and a really nice flannel in bright colours, something lux you wouldn’t necessarily buy yourself but practical too.

Vikinga · 05/05/2022 03:24

Hi op. Whilst it is good to ask for ideas here, don't get disheartened by negative responses - they aren't your target customer.

Think of a customer - a giver or a receiver and why they would want to give such a present. After all, in theory we could all make our own selection/bake etc but some of us buy it already selected. Why? Because we don't have time. Because we have no ideas. Because we want to treat someone who is going through something (new baby/new home/birthday/illness/thinking of you). Because of the message we want to send. Because we are into something or know that who we want to treat is into something.

To me sourcing a selection of environmentally friendly artisan makes would be appealing. With a note on the history/ingredients etc. But whether youd be able to strike a deal with them so that you're both making money?

Or maybe your target market could be men who generally aren't that good at knowing what to buy. So could make it easy for them. For mum, for sister, for valentines, for anniversary etc.

Or for milestone birthdays- quite often people want to get something that marks special birthdays and it is hard to come up with ideas. For people born in 1982, 1972 or 1962 etc.

What do you love op? What are you interested in?

InTheNightWeWillWish · 05/05/2022 03:48

The people I would buy a treat for have such different interests that a box of random crap wouldn’t work for any of them. It would need to be a high quality box of one item. So for example, I’d buy my mum a set of decent coffees, ones she wouldn’t encounter normally but give her the option to buy a big pack of one she likes. For my MIL I would send puzzle books or a notebook. For one friend I would send fudge or brownies but another I’d send flowers.

The issue is that treat boxes for gin, beer, wine, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, chocolate, sweets, flowers, cheese, deli meats, chilli oils - they already exist.

However, I would send a gift because it was their birthday/Christmas, new job, new baby, anniversary of a bereavement, feeling down/going through a tough time, as a thank you and because I was missing them. So if you can find the niche there’s a whole host of reasons I’d be giving.

ClaryFairchild · 05/05/2022 04:02

I think if you want to do something like that then you start with something like a themed hampers, advent calendars or a 12 days of Christmas box but more varied than the brand ones that come out, and sell at markets pre Christmas, to see if it's something you enjoy doing.

cookiemonster2468 · 05/05/2022 04:15

It's a very saturated market.

And as some have said, it can come across as a little insincere to buy a generic gift box. I wouldn't really buy them for my friends - I would just buy the items myself and make up my own.

You could allow people to choose what goes in the box themselves and include a personalised gift note. It will be harder to set up as you'll need a big selection of products to get started, but I think that's the only way I'd be interested.

I would be very happy to receive:


  • A posh chocolate bar/ sweets

  • Good quality coffee/ tea bags/ hot chocolate

  • A carefully chosen book

  • Something fun like a pin badge or a bit of stationery

  • A donation to a charity on my behalf and a bit of info about what they do


I would definitely want the personalisation though and all the items selected by the person sending it, rather than just a generic box.

I do think it will be hard to make it work to be honest, it will be difficult to offer something different to what is already out there.

WishingWell5 · 05/05/2022 04:22

A section of local products from local craftsmen/ businesses would probably be a good way to differentiate and would allow you to market locally (ie. community social media).

TheLadyofShalott1 · 05/05/2022 05:31

I have no knowledge of this sort of thing, so the only way I can see it working (sorry, but I'm not very imaginative) is for you to order a bespoke service - probably easier if you live in a large city, or near quaint coastal villages. Obviously you could use the Internet yourself (but then so could your prospective clients), but if you could track down a mixture of sellers on something like Etsy - I got some things from an Etsy artist that were lovely, and very good value, who I first found out about on here - and also from some little shops that sell well made products, that are not easily found on the high street. You could also visit some National Trust shops, museum shops, etc.

However, you would need the capital for the initial layout, as not only would you need to have some photos of potential packages, including what you are sending things in, eg strong, pretty cardboard boxes (all eco materials hopegully), or wicker baskets etc.

You would also need some photos of a selection of some lovely, good quality, but not too expensive, products - a few examples being things like a genuine Scottish tartan scarf, made out of lovely soft wool, but probably not cashmere, or, I have a pair of earings and a pendant, that I bought from a shop in Pitlochry, that are made of compressed heather, in I think metal (maybe silver) and glass capsules - I haven't found them yet since moving, and my memory is not the best. However, it must be at least 8 years since I bought them, so I don't even know if the shop is still there, or what their prices are like now, but I thought they were very reasonable at the time.

Other things that are small and good value, can be semi-precious stones, some of which people say have healing properties for different things - I bought a small one for one of my adult children when they broke a bone, and the bone ortho was genuinely surprised at how quickly the bone had healed (he didn't know about the stone). Most people will probably consider that a coincidence, or the placebo effect, which might not be quite so easy with broken bones, but who knows!

Anyway, another idea is a wooden love spoon from Wales, they are cheap, but as part of a package for a newly engaged couple, they could be considered a bit of fun, and don't take up much space on a kitchen wall, or shelf - or the bedroom, of course.

I think it is a very good idea to enclose some foodie treats as well, I am rather fond of some of the products found on Fortnum and Mason's website, and although maybe not particularly good value, something like a pot of jam from there, or a tube of biscuits in a nice tin, to go with other things in the parcel might just be a little bit different to a jam from Tiptree (as nice as they are!).

Of course you could get all those sort of things together, and then unfortunately not get any takers, but I suppose most new ventures take at least some capital, and probably quite a bit of risk - but then a few make millions. I'm not sure that this is in that category, but I can think of one woman who started a small business selling party things, and she has done quite well for herself, and her daughters even better (depending on your values of course). Sadly for him, her son's personalised marshmallow business didn't turn out quite so well for him, but he seems to have married quite well too, which is maybe what mum wanted for her loved ones! Actually I think that they seem a lovely family, and I think the eldest daughter and her family is particularly lovely.

Sorry, to have waffled on, maybe I could be your source finder in chief? 😂

Womanface · 05/05/2022 05:41

Can you at least make it edgy?

MDMA fags champagne and a dildo 🙌