About Boxed
Boxed is your one-stop online shop for bulk goods. Stocking everything from essentials to grocery to household supplies, shoppers can sign up and immediately start adding whatever looks good into their cart – no membership fee required.
The brand has been featured in Healthline, Bloomberg, CNBC, Business Insider, Inc, Magazine, and many other notable publications. They have a solid following of 342k on Facebook, a number that kind of blew our minds, considering the nature of the business.
This Boxed review will take a close look at the brand and their bulk goods service, fill you in on what customers have to say about them, reveal exciting promotions, and more to help you decide if they’re the right choice for your needs.
Overview of Boxed
The bigger you buy, the more you save. Grocery shopping is the pits. Two universal truths that many of us learned in 2020 as we tried to avoid giant lineups and saw the value in only making one shopping trip a month.
Boxed has been around since 2013, but the pandemic taught us that it’s always a good idea to be more prepared than you think you need to be. Changing the way we grocery shop forever, online delivery systems have become king.
But they’re not all built the same: some charge premium prices for the sake of convenience. Boxed does things differently, and always has, putting the customer first by making sure they get the best deals.
Created by a group of young tech pioneers, Chieh Huang, Jared Yaman, Christopher Cheung, and William Fong, the brand aims to make “shopping for bulk easy, convenient, and fun.”
Their team has an obsession for snacks, so you’ll find a vast selection on their platform, ranging from keto to vegan to good ol’ traditional.
But that’s not all they sell. Boxed combines the best of a drugstore with a grocery store with a home goods shop, making sure to stock up on all important categories, including baby and general wellness items. Based in New York, the brand ships across the USA.
Before we jump right into how the service works, this Boxed review will give you a quick rundown of the brand’s pros and cons:
Pros
- Curated, top-notch products
- Offers a variety of items for certain diets and lifestyles
- Options for home, grocery, baby, wellness, and more
- Convenient for those who can’t get to the store or have a busy household
- Express Return-a-Bag option gives you $1 for each bag you return
- Boxed Office provides free shipping for orders over $80
- Boxed Up has free shipping for orders over $20
Cons
- Only bulk items available
- Limited selection due to curated products
- Some customers report their orders arrived damaged, too heavy to lift, or overpacked
How Does Boxed Work?
The Boxed Website is super easy to navigate. If 2020 introduced you to buying your groceries online and you never ever want to go back, then chances are you’ll like this service. And the best part? It comes without a membership fee. Anyone can join.
Think of Boxed as you would CostCo, but with a much better selection and without the giant cart that takes hours to wheel through their massive warehouse.
Taking the hassle out of bulk shopping, Boxed provides all of your favorite groceries and health and home products in one convenient online store.
As soon as you enter your email and password or use your Google or Facebook account to log in, you’ll be taken to the company’s vast selection of goodies and home supplies. Now all you need to do is shop.
Boxed stocks old favorites along with new, exciting brands you may not have heard about but may not want to miss out on.
Once you land on the brand’s homepage, shopping is made simple. The brand groups items by aisle:
- Snacks
- Beverages
- Household Essentials (Boxed Lysol wipes, toilet paper, etc.)
- Grocery
- Personal Care
- Health & Wellness
- Baby (Boxed wholesale diapers, wipes, etc.)
- Home
You can also sort by preference, including options such as Vegan, Keto, Gluten-free, and Organic. Go ahead and add whatever looks good to your cart.
If you’re someone who always wants to stay stocked up on your favorite snacks and supplies, Boxed has an Autosave Subscription that will automatically send your order to your door each month.
Autosave subscribers save 10% on their first order, then 5% on every subsequent order, but this Boxed review must note that with this option comes a $20 order minimum and only specific items are available (as they need to be sure they’re consistently in stock).
If you find that you want a few extra perks, want to order for a business, or need your items fast, never fear, as Boxed has several shopping options available that we’ll expand on further.
In the next section of this Boxed review, we’ll get into the specifics of each shopping option. You’ll find details of Boxed, Boxed Office, Boxed Up, and Boxed Express.
Boxed Review
No matter how you choose to shop, the same selection will always be available, except for Express. Each method comes with its own exciting benefits.
Your 4 ways to shop are:
Boxed: Order what you need, when you need it. With no order minimum and no subscription necessary, you can hop onto Boxed whenever you need to do a grocery run, except you’ll be saving the energy and letting someone else do the running.
This version comes with access to the brand’s full line of inventory, including things like Boxed fruit roll-ups, cookies, chips, home supplies, etc., but shipping fees apply. Don’t worry, as they’re nothing too crazy.
Boxed Office: With free shipping on orders over $80, multiple payment options, invoicing, volume-based discounts, and more, Boxed Office will make sure your workplace is full of all the right equipment it needs to run efficiently, like Boxed V8 Splash and cleaning supplies.
You’ll have a free run of the Boxed selection, just as with the regular Boxed subscription, but your account tools will be more advanced.
Boxed Up: As a paid subscription service, Boxed Up gives its members exclusive benefits, but it does come with an annual fee which you can read about further down in this Boxed packaged goods review.
Your Boxed Up subscription features:
- 2% cash rewards on every order
- Exclusive discounts
- Free shipping on orders over $20
For example, this week you could save an additional 10% off on antibacterial wipes (50 ct) that cost $4.50 but are on sale for $1.10. You’ll be getting them for under $1! Other bath products like a Boxed hand soap refill are also available.
There’s also the possibility of finding a gift or two in your order and being automatically entered into giveaway contests.
Expres: This option is essentially a quick online shopping trip for groceries and pantry essentials. You’ll find everything you would normally find at a mini-market here, like fresh and frozen produce, Boxed salty snacks, deli products, and pet food.
Items are still sold in bulk, so you’ll find things like 24 organic eggs, 6 lbs of carrots, and 32 oz of Sabra hummus among the items in this section.
You can order for delivery up to 5 days in advance or in as little as 1 hour.
Who Is Boxed For?
Boxed is for anyone who wants to save time and money on groceries and supplies. The service is best suited for singles, couples, families, seniors, young moms, office managers, secretaries, or basically anyone who needs to get their hands on bulk goods for great prices.
Those who like taking their time in grocery stores or want a larger selection may not appreciate the service as much as others.
The service has regular Boxed, Express, and Office options, the latter of which is structured around bigger bulk orders like palettes and offers helpful tools, such as invoices and multi-user accounts.
Comparison: Boxed vs. Thrive Market
If you’re checking out Boxed, then you may have heard about other grocery delivery services as well like Thrive. In this section of the Boxed review, you’ll read about what makes these 2 brands alike and what makes them different.
Thrive is an online shop that stocks all things health and wellness. Organic? They’ve got it? Vegan? Yup, you bet. Free-range? That’s totally their thing. The info on their website emphasizes health, sustainability, and giving back.
Thrive Market memberships clock in at $60/year, but you have the option of a monthly subscription as well. Boxes cannot be purchased as a one-time thing – they’re looking for commitment.
When compared to Boxed, Thrive seems like the good-for-you alternative, but Boxed has a ton of healthy items as well, they just don’t specialize in it. With a more inclusive selection, the brand gives users several ways to shop.
The biggest differences between the two? Boxed’s lack of membership fees and your ability to buy in bulk. You can shop the service just as you would an online grocery store, with access to great deals and coupons daily. That’s what makes the prices so low.
Thrive Market appears to be a more specialty service, but they have some great deals on traditionally expensive products as well. In the end, Boxed buy in bulk has more ways to shop, but customers can only buy large quantities, so no single items are available.
How Much Is Boxed?
With a regular or office account, you can buy from Boxed at absolutely no cost. If you want to shop with perks and become a Boxed Up member, the annual fee is $50.
Boxed Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
Sure, the brand sounds great, but what is their service really like? If this question has crossed your mind, you’re in luck, because this is the part of our Boxed review where we reveal all the juicy details when it comes to customer evaluations.
The SiteJabber rating for Boxed is 3.9/5 stars out of 415 customers. Individuals have rated the brand on a few qualities:
- Service: 3.5/5 stars
- Value: 3.5/5 stars
- Shipping: 3.5/5 stars
- Quality: 3.5/5 stars
Having in-demand items is huge for online stores, especially amid a pandemic. Boxed Lysol spray was in large demand and customers were very happy to find the brand had them in stock:
“They had the Lysol I was looking for for months, and it was also at an extremely affordable price. My order arrived via UPS within two business days.” Fast shipping is always a plus.
Shipping is huge when it comes to groceries, but as you can imagine, packages can get damaged easily.
One Boxed review revealed that their package was “severely damaged due to way over packing and the box was so heavy I couldn’t even pick it up. One whole corner was ripped open and one of the packages was damaged.”
The brand did not rectify this, but we can’t say for sure if that damage made the food inedible or not.
Boxed has a rating of 4.4/5 stars on Trustpilot, awarded to them by 1,726 shoppers. The majority rate the brand as Excellent:
- Excellent: 78%
- Great: 11%
- Average: 4%
- Poor: 2%
- Bad: 5%
Buyers speak of “excellent customer service,” great prices, and an easy ordering process.
One Boxed review recounted their experience from start to finish: “Shopping and placing the order could not have been any easier. Checkout was super fast. Website well designed…15% off coupon code sealed the deal. Shipping was fast. Items well packed.”
Sounds like a fabulous service, and so many others agree.
But, of course, stellar service isn’t always the case for everyone, and to our surprise, it’s not just one issue that is to blame. Negative reviews are with regards to the website, the prices, the shipping, damaged items, and a handful of other reasons.
One complaint reads, “Too many items expiring within a couple of weeks. ALL cans dented.” A couple of weeks is acceptable unless you’re buying in bulk (a requirement when it comes to shopping with Boxed).
We decided to finish this section with a personal review that describes the service in a little more detail. Scoping out Money Under 30, we found the reviewer, David Weliver, gave the brand a 9/10 ranking, further breaking it down into these categories:
- Membership fee: 10/10
- Product prices: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 10/10
- Shipping Time: 9/10
Weliver rated the brand almost perfectly, so as you can imagine, there are more pros than cons in his Boxed review.
One of his top benefits of the service? Time and money. He wrote that ordering from Boxed saves “me from going as often and shrink[s] my list when I am there.”
Due to the nature of the brand, he says that “selection is limited,” and that because products are sold in bulk only “they’ll take up more space in your cabinets and closets.” Two important points to consider when deciding if Boxed is right for you.
There are certainly some great things about Boxed, but from what we’ve read in customer reviews, the service may not be suited for everyone. More often than not, shoppers recommend the brand thanks to its selection, prices, and easy-to-navigate website.
Is Boxed Worth It?
The folks at Boxed carefully choose which brands to carry. This means that you may not find your favorite brand, but searching for it is easy and you don’t need to pay a cent to take a peek at their selection.
We found the signup process to be quick and painless, as all information was readily displayed, and all of our questions were answered quickly thanks to the thorough FAQ section the brand wrote for each shopping option.
Customers generally enjoy the service, reporting fast shipping and great deals, though we will say they may not have the cheapest prices out there for certain items.
If you’re someone who loves buying in bulk and hates going to the store to lug five bags and a wheelie cart home, then Boxed is definitely for you.
Because the service is free and they have several shopping options, good prices, and a varied selection, we believe Boxed wholesale is worth the buy.
Boxed Promotions & Discounts
During our Boxed review, we kept an eye out for any fantastic deals on the brand’s website. Here’s what we found:
- Save 10% plus free shipping with Boxed promo code ‘BULKNOW’
- Save 15% + Free Shipping by inputting code: FIRSTBULK
- Up to 15% off July 4th sale
- Up to 75% off in the Last Chance section
- 20% off Boxed coupon for classic cookies
- Buy 1 medicine cabinet pick and get 15% off your entire order
- Tons of coupons available
Sign Up For Boxed
Signing up for Boxed is as easy as:
- Entering your email
- Choosing a password
- Clicking ‘Submit’
Yeah, those are literally the only steps. After that, you’re free to browse the service’s inventory. If you’re interested in signing up for Boxed Up, simply follow these steps:
- Click ‘Upgrade to Boxed Up’ on the top menu of the homepage
- Select ‘Start Free 30-Day Trial’
- Enter your payment information
- Hit ‘Save & Continue’
You’ll get automatic access to Boxed Up perks and can start shopping right away.
FAQ
Boxed?
Boxed is like an online grocery store that lets you buy in bulk, yet they have so much more than a regular grocery store and offer a ton of deals.
Who owns Boxed?
Chieh Huang, Jared Yaman, Christopher Cheung, and William Fong own Boxed. According to Markets Insider, the brand is getting ready to go public, meaning anyone will be able to invest in the company.
How do I cancel my Boxed subscription?
The regular Boxed service doesn’t require cancellation as there are no recurring fees, but if you’re a Boxed Up member and wish to cancel, all you need to do is email [email protected] and let them know.
Customer Service will cancel your subscription, but be aware that if you cancel before your 12 months is through (it’s an annual subscription) you won’t be able to get the unused portion of your fees back.
You’ll still have access to the Boxed Up perks until your subscription term expires.
What is Boxed’s Shipping Policy?
Boxed only ships within the contiguous USA and shipping fees and times vary by location. All rates will be given at checkout. Orders are typically shipped out in 3 business days.
If you want a speedier delivery time, choose the Express option where you’ll be able to pick the exact time and date (up to 5 days in advance) to have your order delivered.
What is Boxed’s Return Policy?
Boxed does not accept returns at this time, so all sales are final. If your product arrives damaged, send them an email at [email protected] to let them know and they will ship you a replacement.