Last summer, after Daria Chimicles was laid off from her job due to COVID-19, she launched a new business, Cub Pantry, out of her home in Denver.
This subscription business offers boxes of healthy snacks in three types, baby, toddler and older kids, for harried parents struggling to deal with children at home. The contents of the boxes change monthly.
Parents love them, Chimicles says, because they can try out brands they’d never have heard of otherwise, and for the small manufacturers, it’s a great way to get their brand in front of the right consumers.
Offering curated food and beverage boxes is becoming a big business during this global pandemic, says Kara Nielsen, director of food and drink for WGSN, a trend forecasting company based in New York.
“We see all kinds of brands pivoting to a direct-to-consumer model. It’s a way to access an audience and may have started with a more local outreach, but now many of these business models are allowing the kits and packages to go across the country and the world, potentially.”
These boxes are popular because many people, who’ve eliminated things like vacations, eating out, and theater visits, want to treat themselves during these uncertain times. “We’re recognizing them as something to make us feel good.”
Nielsen expects this business model to stick around. “A direct-to-consumer model is the safer bet as consumers have learned about it and become used to it.”
There’s also an element of altruism, she says, and people like supporting local businesses, especially the smaller ones.
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Joshua Livsey launched a macaron business – Macarons by Josh Ganache — with his business partner, Kerry Loria, when the two found themselves home from their pastry chef jobs in June. They’re selling boxes of 12 macarons in six seasonal flavors, and deliver them locally, themselves.
While they’re breaking even, this is mostly a labor of love; they just can’t stop themselves from baking.
Promoting Local
Lost Plate Food Tours in Portland, Ore., offers tours across the city, but last May started offering curated boxes of food, since demand for the business was down due to COVID.
The company offers two recipe boxes featuring several hard-to-find ingredients from local producers and five recipes that have been in the founders' family for generations. The two boxes are Best of Portland Foodie Box and Sichuan Recipe Box. More boxes are in the works.
The main goal, says co-founder Michelle Bergey, “was to support local small businesses and keep businesses, including ours, afloat.” Orders are coming in from around the world, and she’s shipping across the U.S.
Ganache and Loria would love to expand, but there are obstacles: First, how will the macarons hold up if shipped, and secondly, are customers prepared to pay for overnight delivery?
Chimicles already ships across the country, and her artisan food manufacturers are likewise spread across the states. This week she’s seeing good sales of her Halloween box, which she launched as a sort of consolation box for kids who aren’t able to go out trick or treating.
As we approach the holidays, the demand for curated boxes is likely to increase. “There will be a lot of virtual gift-giving and this can bring some fun festivity,” says Nielsen.
Related: Findlay Kitchen Incubator Launches Curated Boxes; FreshDirect Unveils Subscription-Free CSA Boxes.
Photo: Cub Pantry
from Specialty Food News https://ift.tt/3mzehSU
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