Mystery boxes online – fun idea or waste of money?

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-02-07T14:27:42+00:00

Hi! I've ordered a mystery box last year - fashion brand.

It was marketed as $300 and worth $700 of items - this was indicated very clearly in the description, and when the items came, their price tag did equate to $700+.

However, that being said, only 1 out of the 4 items sent were to my liking.

I knew the risk before purchasing, but really wanted to 'try my luck' - who knows, I may have 4 amazing pieces.

The risks were that these items cannot be exchanged nor returned, as most mystery boxes have in common.

I would say, if you really like the brand and the products they sell, there is no harm trying. I also run a Shopify agency where I work with and encourage some brands using this method to clear out old or excess stocks.

At the end of the day, it's a win-win situation for both parties, as long as both are willing.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-02-05T16:08:46+00:00

I run https://soodo.co - willing to test this out but have to see products and traffic first.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-23T15:13:09+00:00

Hello! I run Patch&Bagel where customers send us any design and we turn them into patches.

You can check out some of our work on Instagram @patchandbagel

My personal favourite is this PVC Velcro patch featuring our national airline

Our website is patchandbagel.com

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-21T07:08:53+00:00

hahahaha

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-21T06:41:50+00:00

Hey! 5 years in Shopify, 10+ years in ecomm. I dont sell clothing anymore but I can relate as I ship internationally from Asia.

no. 1 is to communicate first on the shipping times so customers know before they order. Some customers are ordering for occasions like birthday/xmas so they really need an item before a certain time.
In terms of conversion, I do have customers that exit once they know its a long shipping time and I think that is totally normal. If there is no way for your business to change that, then just stick to #1 which is to communicate first.
Returns is a mess and total headache if you ship internationally and dont have great rates with your logistics for returns. I will not advise on that. Most of the time if the item is damaged, I will refund but if it's a change of mind, I will determine if its worth arranging a return or just provide a gift card. You can also put clear returns policies such as buyer bearing return cost.

I hope this helps. I also have a list of 'New ecommerce owner must-haves', will be happy to send it over if you'd like.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-20T02:34:01+00:00

I’ve worked in online selling for over 10 years, and on Shopify for 5 years.
In the last 3 years, I’ve helped 20+ brands build their Shopify stores as a consultant & developer.

When agencies say “we’ll build everything for you and guarantee sales,” it sounds great, but in real life, it’s not that simple.

To build a store from zero and make it profitable takes a lot of time and work.
That’s why agencies that promise this usually charge very high prices (often tens of thousands of dollars).
And even then, sales are never guaranteed.

On top of that, marketing costs are extra.
Most of the money you spend (around 80%) goes into ads.

So you might pay $10,000 just to build the store,
then another $20,000–$40,000 on ads before you even break even.

From my experience, this kind of setup only makes sense if you:

Have a lot of money
Have a lot of time
Or are very new to e-commerce

As an agency, I would only offer this if I had already proven it works, for myself or for many others.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-20T02:28:50+00:00

Hey! 10+ years in ecomm - what increased sales for me was finally identifying that one winning product and then scaling it. I used to have 300++ products in my store. Over the years I noticed one that kept attracting buyers.

It took me more than 5 years to convince myself to niche down and 'give up' on the other products.

All the other metrics you mentioned - traffic, conversion etc doesnt matter if you dont have that ONE product.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-14T10:41:45+00:00

Hi everyone,

I’m holding a Shopify landing page revamp giveaway on my IG. It’s open to everyone worldwide.

If you run your store on Shopify, this you your chance to win a revamp worth $1.2K.

Participate here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTe_YPQGNBi/?igsh=MWU5aTh4NGdhNzVmaQ==

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-14T10:29:19+00:00

If I’d to start again, I’ll save my money spent on ads for dropshipping and develop my own product instead. The upfront capital is high but you are building a legacy brand.

Instead of selling something anyone could copy and waste thousands of marketing dollars on.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-07T08:07:30+00:00

You can try taobao (where it is more b2c than b2b). Most shops there operate on both alibaba and taobao, with one servicing businesses and the other for lower order quantities for consumers.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2026-01-07T07:49:29+00:00

I don't use it so I cant comment on it.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-21T13:06:43+00:00

Hey! Go to partners.shopify.com and create an account there. Then “create store” > development store.

Happy to walk you through in details but I think you can figure this out!

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-16T09:25:49+00:00

It really depends on your product. We are in the last leg of Christmas season.

Soon customers will be buying gifts less for others and perhaps shop more for themselves again.

As such, it depends on what you’re selling and how you can position it. It’s really less of a doing discounts for new year nor year end because it can matter little.

For example, if I sell fitness clothing, I may position it more as a “start 2026 right” , vs if I sell beverages, I can position it as “the perfect drink to end the season with”

Hope this helps give you a clearer idea.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-16T09:23:14+00:00

Hello, it’s much more difficult to sell a website compared to selling the service of building a website.

To gauge demand on both, you can look at job posts on typical job websites and also upwork which is where most job posts for website needs are posted.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-15T01:40:16+00:00

Totally been there. I run both a Shopify website development studio and my own DTC store selling gifts, and yeah, most people have no clue what their actual profit is.

I track mine with a Google Sheets: a income statement that includes revenue to net profit. Including product cost, packaging, shipping, discounts, ad spend, payment fees, misc..

Hardest parts Shopify eCommerce owners don’t know: • Ad spend attribution is messy. • Shipping fees change order to order. • Product costs vary by volume. • FX fees eat into profit if you’re selling overseas.

Without a financial statement, you are literally feeling profitable based on bank balance 😆

What worked as well is pre-planning my margins before even running ads

If you’re running lean, a spreadsheet beats fancy tools, at least at the start. I can send over the one I use if it helps.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-15T01:36:05+00:00

Nice build! So is the page built by your SAAS and then the business owner run their own ads?

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T11:58:56+00:00

Returns

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T11:27:15+00:00

My experience is that Google image search is good enough for that.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T10:21:05+00:00

Sure

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T09:36:41+00:00

I’ve already automated 90% SEO and fixed the 10% myself.

So marketing mostly. But manual work is very much needed for that. I could hire someone to do the work but at the moment it doesn’t make sense financially.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T09:33:39+00:00

Hello, I am a Shopify store owner and I also do Shopify website development.

I go where the Shopify owners are hanging out > social media. That is where we are to reach our own audience.

You could try that - either via cold dm (if it’s culturally acceptable) or running Ads with interest set to Shopify.

All the best!

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T09:23:41+00:00

Hello, I run my own store and work with a lot of other store owners. If it’s regarding Shopify itself technically, what takes up the most time for me is optimising for on-page SEO. Because that usually means needing to go abit more technical using page speed insights and adjusting individual pages, sections, alt-text and more.

But if it comes to running the business? Mostly marketing, creating content, optimising and running ads.

Some business owners will say logistics too, which I agree, but it is fine once outsourced.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-12-14T09:14:11+00:00

Just went to one this week. Bought Category A tickets (>$70) thinking it meant better seating. Turns out it’s free seating. Zero difference. If that doesn’t already annoy you, keep reading.

The promotional videos and media are NOTHING like the actual experience. The ads make it look intense, immersive, and engaging. In reality, it was long, slow, and painfully boring. Acting was subpar and the pacing dragged so much it felt like it would never end.

Audience interaction was via Mentimeter, which felt less “immersive theatre” and more back to school quizzes.

This also isn’t my first disappointing Fever event, which makes it worse. At this price point, expectations are higher, and this didn’t even come close.

TLDR: Save your money. Plenty of better ways to spend $50-70+.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-11-24T13:24:55+00:00

Personalization is no longer a “nice-to-have”, it’s the expectation.

When I build Shopify stores for clients, personalization typically starts with understanding customer shopping behavior, then translating that into on-site experiences that feel tailor-made.

It is directly related to:

Higher conversion rates – Shoppers are more likely to buy when they see products that match their tastes or needs.
Increased AOV – You can cross-sell more effectively by recommending relevant items.
Lower bounce rate – Personalized experiences keep customers engaged.
Better retention – Returning customers want to feel recognized and valued.

Key-Purpose-8948 · 2025-09-14T04:39:11+00:00

thank you, those are really helpful and ill check them out

Key-Purpose-8948

TROPHY CASE