Tyler Delarm made a crucial point on the 2X eCommerce Podcast: if you’re sending subscribers the same package over and over again, you’re missing the point. He frames the unboxing as the single most emotional touchpoint a brand has with its customers. People anticipate the delivery, and that excitement is a massive opportunity to create a connection. Just shipping another cardboard box is a failure to capitalize on that moment.
His core idea is to build out different, personalized unboxing experiences for different stages of the customer journey. For a first-time buyer, he recommends creating a special welcome. This could include a handwritten note, free samples, or simply a beautifully designed box with a "welcome" message. He argues this is a channel worth testing methodically. You could start with a test cohort of a thousand first-time customers, give them an elevated experience, and then measure whether their reorder rate is higher than a control group. This proves out the ROI before you invest heavily in complex packaging logistics.
But the strategy has to evolve for subscribers. Sending that same "welcome" message on their sixth delivery feels impersonal and lazy. This is where you have to think about adding value and maintaining delight. Fiona Stevens expanded on this idea on Ecommerce Coffee Break, suggesting that subscriber-only boxes could contain free samples of a new product you’re about to launch, exclusive content, or invitations to special events. This rewards their loyalty and gives them a clear reason to keep their subscription active. It shifts the unboxing from a simple product delivery to an ongoing perk, directly impacting your efforts in driving repeat purchases and reducing churn.
However, there is a limit. Kendall Dickieson offered a sharp reality check on Future Commerce, arguing that for some deeply loyal customers, it’s time to "forget the experience in the unboxing and all that stuff." If someone is already hooked and wants to buy 36 units of your beverage, the best experience you can provide is a simple way to get a case of it without the fancy tissue paper. For these customers, the value isn’t in the ceremony of unboxing, but in the convenience and volume of getting the product they already love. The key is understanding when a customer graduates from needing delight to prioritizing simple replenishment.