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Cotton On's mystery boxes send shoppers into a buying frenzy
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There’s no doubt lockdown has changed the way we shop online, and now there’s a new way to get your hands on a bargain from the comfort of your couch.
Introducing the mystery box. If you haven’t heard the hype around mystery boxes yet, it’s because they haven’t really received that much love from online shoppers. That was until lockdowns hit.
With our focus now predominantly on shopping online, retailers are looking at fun and mysterious bulk buys.
One of the latest retailers to offer the fun shopping experience is Cotton On group which includes stores like Typo. But you can easily pick up mystery boxes from online retailers including Amazon and Kogan too.
The Cotton On mystery boxes has proved to be a hit with online buyers, with many saying they’re using the bargain buy to stock up on Christmas gifts and surprise loved ones in lockdown.
“Not sure if this has been posted before but Cotton On has some amazing mystery bundles,” one shopper said on Markdown Addicts Australia Facebook page.
“I ordered two and they came today. The value is at least 3 x what I paid. The throw rug covers the cost of the biggest box alone.”
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Others said they’d jumped on the shopping trend too, with many of the boxes selling out.
“I was really impressed by what was in mine!! Definitely worth it,” one person said.
“I bought them to start my kid's Advent calendar. One 18 and one 8. They were incredible value and provided some left of centre choices that I never would have thought of. The kids are going to love them,” added another.
"I brought 3 of these last week (2 stationary and 1 self-care) and love them!" Shared a third.
How do mystery boxes work?
As the name suggests, the whole concept of purchasing a mystery box is that you have no idea what’s inside. Usually, though, the items are valued more than what you pay and that’s the appeal.
Retailers gather items together that they may have excess stock of and bundle them into mystery boxes that usually have a specific theme, such as stationary, self-care, tech and gadgets, clothing, and even jewellery.
The online lucky dip is priced at a certain value and usually details how many objects you’ll receive inside the box - but that’s all the information you’ll get. And that’s half the fun of awaiting its arrival.
Are they value for money?
These surprise boxes usually come with equally as surprising savings. But there can be some things to look out for.
In most cases, mystery boxes offer good value for money. Items are packed up in bulk bundles with an overall reduced price. The description of the item will detail how many items you’ll receive in the box, and some have a small description of the items.
But there is the chance of getting something that you don’t actually need. So the value may not be there for everyone.
There are some key things to note when choosing a mystery box though. Choose a theme that you know will suit your needs, compare how much you are paying with how many items you will receive, and remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Where can you buy them?
Mystery boxes come in all shapes and sizes. The Cotton on varieties has proved to be extremely popular. There’s a Self-Care Club box for $30, a Staying In box for $30, a Bored AF box for $20, and a Zero Fs Given box for $50. The boxes have a range of products from the Cotton On group stores including Typo, Cotton On, and Cotton On Body.
If you’re after more of a luxury mystery box, you can grab yourself over $1000 worth of Swarovski crystal jewellery for $321. The box contains a minimum of 16 pieces of jewellery. There are lower price point options too ranging from $81.
If you’re looking for something for the kids, Crayola does mystery craft boxes for $24.99 and they’re packed with products that are usually valued at $64.99.
Beauty mystery boxes are great value too. This entire box of makeup available on Amazon will cost you $63.78 which includes a range of cosmetic products including lip liners, lip gloss bronzer, highlighter and eyeshadow.
If it’s healthy snacks you're after - there’s a mystery box for that too! The GoodnessMe mystery boxes offer up healthy snacks picked by health practitioners and send them straight to your door. Their mystery boxes contain a whole range of healthy treats and there’s a $45 box or $25 box available. Who knew eating healthy could be so simple and fun!
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