Whether it’s a mystery teabag or new make-up, an element of surprise comes packaged within many subscription boxes. Canvas8 spoke to Aditya Gupta, a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to understand how surprise impacts the experience of self-gifting.

Fukubukuro bags are a popular tradition in Japan. Stores across the country create lucky-dip goodie bags from leftover stock, which vary in degrees of quality. For many shoppers, they present more than just the opportunity to grab a bargain, but indulge in the child-like joy of getting a surprise.

From food and fashion to vinyl and make-up, subscription boxes are disrupting retail on a huge scale. Subscription-based brands are changing the way shoppers discover and experience new products, tapping into a desire for both convenience and surprise.

The war between online and IRL shopping has yet to be won – what if the solution wasn’t one or the other, but a combination of both? Trouva is an online platform that pairs with brick-and-mortar boutiques to offer shoppers access to indie retailers and grant small shopowners a bigger reach too.