Unboxing a superior customer experience

From its earliest days, Amazon’s success was driven by two things: offering lower prices than brick and mortar competitors, and providing an exceptional online experience. It’s a simple yet formidable business model that many retailers have yet to catch up with.

But niche retailers like Boxed might have found a way to chip into Amazon’s e-com dominance by hyper focusing on a specific category and then matching and in some ways exceeding Amazon’s consumer experience.

Boxed’s business model is simple and focused: “Boxed delivers the products you love in bulk, for the best prices.” But what sets Boxed apart is how it has wrapped this model in a custom fit consumer experience.

• Fast, free shipping on most orders? Check.
• No membership fees? Check.
• Cash rewards on every purchase? Check.
• A slick app that lets you easily replenish your household? Check.
• Weekly deals and promotions? Check.
• Reviewed, curated products to ensure quality? Check
• Prepaid return labels? Check.

By developing a consumer experience detailed to a simple, focused business model, Boxed has addressed specific weaknesses in Amazon’s consumer experience, specifically the lack of curated, tested products, and the absence of weekly discounts and specials that many consumers love.

In our view, Boxed’s brand proposition is really based on delivering a superior consumer experience, which ultimately is what will allow Boxed and other niche retailers to win against Amazon.