In a world where you can order just about anything at the touch of a button, shopping for our loved ones is becoming increasingly difficult. What can you possibly buy for those who seem like they have it all? Enter: monthly subscription boxes.
In recent years, hundreds of brands have started selling monthly subscription boxes to offer their customers an element of surprise. These boxes range from brands selling wine, skincare products, socks and even gardening kits. They act as the perfect present for those who you usually struggle to buy for as each box is preselected for you; all you need to do is choose which box, which is where I can help.
Food and Drink
Know a wine lover but not such a savvy sommelier yourself? LittleWine offer a subscription service of two, four or six bottles of natural wine per month, starting at £50. Each subscription also offers ‘Backstage Access’ which allows wine lovers to “get to know the winemakers behind the bottle”, offering them the opportunity to “explore the world of natural wine through the lens of text, photography, video and audio.” They also offer completely carbon neutral shipping; a win for your conscience and the planet!
Shopping for your sweet-toothed friend? Biscuiteers offer three different subscription services lasting three, six or twelve months which deliver intricately decorated biscuits right to their door. The ‘Jolly Ginger’ collection presents seasonally appropriate gingerbread men all year round – ideal for that one friend who always requests ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ in July. Alternatively, they also sell monthly subscriptions to biscuit tins and ‘Letterbox Biscuits’, so there really is something for everyone.
Everybody knows Brits love their tea, but how about something other than the classic English breakfast?
We all have at least one cheese obsessed friend and if you don’t, it is probably you. (Guilty!) What’s better than to surprise them with a cheese subscription service this year? The Cheese Geek provides a service which delivers ‘4-5 of the finest cheeses’ each month, from classic favourites to less well-known alternatives.
Everybody knows Brits love their tea, but how about something other than the classic English breakfast? Bird and Blend Tea Co. offer subscribers three different tea blends per month as well as exclusive access to their newest concoctions. Or, is your loved one more of a coffee lover? Blue Coffee Box, the ‘UK’s best gourmet coffee subscription club’, delivers a bag of ‘single-origin’ coffee right to their door, priced at only £7.99 a month.
Fashion and Beauty
Want to support a good cause with your Christmas presents this year? Thomp2 are a family-run business selling socks with quirky designs. They donate 5% of profits to St. John of Gods, an organisation who cared for the business’ namesake Thomas. Thomas Barry was born with Downs Syndrome, among a host of other very serious illnesses, which made his ability to find a job very difficult. To support Thomas, his parents launched their business Thomp2 to allow Thomas to work with what he loves most – socks. Their ‘Sockscription’ delivers you a pair of socks with a brand new design each month for only €9.99.
For only £30 per month, keep your friends on the top of their skincare game by letting them discover the latest trends in Korean beauty
With subscription boxes like Birchbox and GlossyBox paving the way for beauty related monthly surprises, these are probably the most popular subscription boxes. Moi-Même provide subscribers with a touch of luxury for only £22.95 a month, delivering high-end treats. The Pip Box is perfect for your vegan and animal-loving friends, offering cruelty free and vegan skin care products. The boxes usually contains “over £55 of product”, for as little as £19.99.
Alternatively, for that friend that is usually ahead of the curve with their beauty knowledge, LengBox offer an exclusive look at a market that is projected to be worth $21.8 billion by 2026. For only £30 per month, keep your friends on the top of their skincare game by letting them discover the latest trends in Korean beauty.
Lifestyle
Mub & Bloom are a monthly gardening and nature activity box for children. Aimed at 3-8 year olds, the service delivers all the tools for a seasonal gardening activity as well as nature quizzes and news ‘aimed at teaching children about the seasons, plants, insects, birds, soil and rainfall.’ These boxes provide children the fabulous opportunity to learn to care for the environment, as well as keeping them away from their screens for a couple of hours.
PaperGang, the monthly subscription box by OhhDeer, is the perfect present for the stationery loving student.
Perfect for your favourite bookworm, The Willoughby Book Club offers subscription centred around 4 genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Food and Drink, and Natural History. Or, if you want something even more personal, ‘The Bespoke Book Club’ is tailored by the expert team based on their reading preferences, “with one beautifully wrapped book arriving on their doorstep each month.”
PaperGang, the monthly subscription box by OhhDeer, is the perfect present for the stationery loving student. Collaborating with different artists each month, Papergang delivers notepads, pens, stickers, washi tape and a huge selection of other beautifully crafted products for as little as £12 a month.
There you have it, monthly subscription boxes for every interest and hobby you can think of, leaving you with no excuse but to spoil your loved ones this Christmas.
Have I missed any of your favourite monthly subscription boxes? Let me know in the comments!
Nia Thomas
Featured image Thanhy Nguyen via Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.