The “mystery box” has become a popular sales gimmick for online retailers. It is a pre-packaged bundle of goods sold at a discount, with the catch being that the customer does not know exactly what is inside. But what happens behind the scenes when a customer places an order for one of these boxes and then cancels it before it ships? Because the contents are a surprise, the store cannot simply put the items back on the shelf. Instead, they use a specific logistical process to handle these cancelled orders without disrupting their inventory or revealing the mystery.
Immediate Return to a Holding Area
When a mystery box order is cancelled, the first step is to pull it from the shipping queue. A warehouse employee will locate the specific, already-packed box and move it to a designated holding area for cancelled or returned goods. The box remains sealed to protect the “mystery” of its contents. This initial step prevents the box from being accidentally shipped out to the customer.
Re-routing to a New Customer’s Order
The simplest and most common solution is to re-route the cancelled box to the next customer who orders the same mystery box deal. Since the contents are standardized for that particular promotion, the box can be easily assigned to a new order without having to be opened or changed. This is the most efficient way for the company to handle the cancellation with minimal disruption.
Holding for a Future Promotion
If the cancelled mystery box is part of a limited-time, seasonal promotion, there may not be another immediate order to assign it to. In this case, the sealed box will be returned to the general inventory. It will be stored in the warehouse and held until the company decides to run a similar mystery box promotion in the future, at which point it can be pulled and used to fulfill a new order.
Sending to Liquidation Partners
If a large number of mystery boxes from a promotion are cancelled, or if the promotion was a flop and the company has a lot of leftover inventory, they will often sell the boxes to a third-party liquidation company. These liquidators will then resell the mystery boxes on their websites or to discount stores. This allows the original retailer to recoup some of their costs and get rid of the excess inventory.
Use as Promotional Giveaways or Employee Perks
In some cases, a small number of leftover or cancelled mystery boxes can be used for marketing purposes. The company might use them as prizes in a social media giveaway to generate excitement for their brand. Alternatively, the boxes might be offered to employees as a perk or a reward. This is a simple way to deal with a small amount of excess inventory.
The Life of an Unsold Mystery
The process for handling a cancelled mystery box is all about efficiency and maintaining the secret of its contents. Retailers have a well-organized system to ensure that these pre-packaged deals do not go to waste. Whether it is re-routed to a new customer or sold to a liquidator, the company will always find a way to get the unsold mystery into the hands of a curious consumer.
Have you ever bought a mystery box? Were you happy with the contents, or was it a disappointment? Share your experience in the comments!
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