Walmart has launched Goodies Co., a monthly food subscription service for consumers to savor foods and discover new items. For $7 a month, including tax and shipping, subscribers receive a gift box at their doorstep filled with five to eight hand-picked taster samples ranging from healthy and organic to artisan and ethnic. The new Goodies Co. box, created by @WalmartLabs, underscores Walmart’s commitment to e-commerce and its use of social innovations to create new offerings for consumers, according to a company news release.
Goodies Co. has been in a private beta test for the last few months with more than 3,000 users across the United States. Each month, treats are arranged into a thematic selection such as “Flavors around the World,” and “Trick-or-Treat Sweets” for Halloween. November’s Thanksgiving theme is “Easy Entertaining,” complete with gourmet foods such as wine biscuits, pumpkin souffle mix, dark chocolate infused Quinoa bars, and white cheddar popcorn among others. The delectables arrive in a gift box with a colorful information card that describes each food in detail.
“We continue to experiment with new offerings to delight our customers and leave them with a smile,” said Ravi Raj, VP of products @WalmartLabs. “With Goodies Co., subscribers have the pleasure of opening a box filled with delicious treats every month that they like or may never have tried before. Great value combined with a community of food lovers and the sheer surprise of what a box might hold makes Goodies Co. a compelling offering.”
“The Goodies Co. box is packed with high-quality foods that I would not have found elsewhere at a price that is unmatched,” said Jason Coleman of Gadsden, Ala., a Goodies Co. beta tester who hosts a food video podcast at BevNerd.com. “The themes make me look forward to opening my Goodies box to discover what is inside every month. It’s a great way to taste and experience new foods in a fun and healthy way.”
Sign up, pricing and social community
Users can sign up for the service at www.goodies.co. After they sign up their name is placed in line to receive an invitation to join the Goodies community. Once an invite is received and the user completes the subscription, they can receive their first Goodies Co. box within weeks. The service is $7 a month including taxes and shipping and is available in the continental United States.
Goodies Co. is the first to offer a large assortment of products for a total price that is nearly half of the total value of the items if they were purchased separately, the news release says. The total price for all of the items in the November box would be approximately $15 compared to the Goodies Co. $7 price. When subscribers discover a product they love, they can purchase full-size versions from the Goodies Co. website.
Goodies Co. creates a social community online where subscribers can post reviews to earn loyalty points. These points can be redeemed in the future for boxes or items in the store.
