Razor blades, cocktails, clothing. Consumers can get their hands on just about anything they need or desire through a box subscription nowadays. Forbes reports the global subscription e-commerce market is expected to reach $904.2 billion by 2026.
Boxing up some of that revenue is Greenville County mom Jamie Snell, founder and CEO of ECO CRATES of America.
“I’m taking my passion and helping others make the transition to living a healthier and easier lifestyle,” she says. “We can all live a higher quality life while cleaning up the earth.”
ECO CRATES started hitting front porches in fall of 2021, packed with cleaning products, personal-care items and home décor. Each box is curated around a specific room or seasonal theme, and includes toxin-free goods made in the United States. With single-box subscribers paying $85 per box and annual subscribers paying a bit less, Snell says her list of deliveries has grown steadily each quarter.
“The products are great, but it’s not just about those,” she says. “I like to provide the added value of knowledge, explaining why we’re doing what we’re doing and how to do it on your own. That connects the individual to the community, and at the end of the day, community is what really matters.”
The Florida native’s life has long-centered around protecting both her family’s health and that of Mother Earth.
She started her career probing an environmental mindset through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) construction with both Ritz-Carlton and Whole Foods Market. She and her husband relocated to the Eastside of Greenville in 2017, in part to provide a better environment for their three children. When she explored re-entering the workforce after several years at home, a friend suggested off-the-cuff that she “box up” everything she’d learned about cloth diapers, organic foods and sustainable products. She put a lid on it.
“I’d built an eco-friendly home for my family — why not do it for others?” she says. “The idea of making everything from scratch can be overwhelming. I’d learned so many ways to hold onto this ideal of healthy living, without compromising on luxury and quality. So now I’m boxing that up and delivering it to others.”
Marketing has initially been organic, via word-of-mouth and digital avenues, with an emphasis on Pinterest and Google.
“I’m not a huge fan of social media,” Snell says. “But customers on these two particular sites aren’t just mindlessly scrolling; they’re looking for something that will bring value. I really try to connect with customers on a one-on-one basis, and moms are a big part of our growth strategy.”
After participating in The Platform at Greer’s Bootcamp for entrepreneurs, ECO CRATES has started soliciting business-to-business growth as well.
“I had two great coaches who convinced me I needed to expand my mindset,” she says. “The next day, I started talking to businesses. Right away, an executive at Sage Automotive liked my model and passion on sustainability. They’re now giving away a specially curated ‘No-Tox Car Box’ to clients.”
Last year, peers within the industry nominated ECO CRATES as the “Best Eco-Friendly Subscription Box in the USA.”
“I’m so encouraged,” Snell says. “I love to share all of the things I’ve learned living a healthier life. And to know I’m now injecting that into the mainstream? That’s important to our children and future generations.”
For more, visit EcoCratesOfAmerica.com.
View this post on Instagram
