Dear Hello Fresh
Hi Matt,
I wanted to pass along this improvement, I think it could really help in a couple different ways. The short version is: replace the current ice-packs with reusable ones, then raise prices to cover the costs associated with a recycling program and to generate additional income. That’s also the long version. That’s it, that’s the whole idea. Hope you like it! I’m not selling anything I promise!
No please keep reading, because if that interests you at all then I have fully fleshed out this idea and you can have it for free. I’m really not selling anything, I’m just a guy who uses HF and this is a really, really, really good idea. I also just semi-retired from the business world so have a lot of free time to think about stuff.
Ok, Let’s say your current ice packs cost $.005 each and you include 2 per box. Then let’s say there’s 50 cents worth of water, freezing, handling, etc on top of that. Total of $0.51 cents per box, pretty good deal. The point is you’re using the bags have them because they’re good.
Imagine a world where instead of spending 51 cents per box, you can spend $2.51. But wait, there’s less! You’d need another $2.49 of additional operational costs per box as well, for a total of FIVE BIG ONES per shipped box! That’s TEN TIMES WORSE!
This solves it: you increase prices by $10. Three immediate benefits:
1. $5 extra per month in revenue and, if things go right, delicious profit.
2. Reuse is better than recycle for the environment
3. Reuse is better than recycle for publicity too. Reuse is quite popular right now, dummy, haven’t you been to the supermarket lately? it’s the very first R. Sorry I called you dummy that got heated. What’s going on? Right, Reduce is the first R. Reduce is the best but that’s not the one I meant, I meant the second one, Reuse.
4. Customer gets a reusable ice pack = customer good will
4a. Stamp those ice packs with Hello Fresh and start seeing them show up at the beach for free publicity
4aa. Don’t worry about people littering and it being bad associating an environmental product with litter, I already thought of that. The trick is that the recycling system rules.
Here’s where we talk about the recycling system. Matt, listen, I feel like we’re friends now so let’s get serious. The recycling system is the greatest concept you’ve heard of since you gained sentience. Basically, the ice packs are larger, sturdy plastic, as sturdy as possible to fit into that $2 budget per shipped box but sized right for consumers to use too while still being sturdy. It would be even better if that plastic were recyclable, but if you can make these ice packs sturdy enough that a consumer would want to use them in their own home or in a cooler that’s better. You can repurpose your current ice pack’s water solution to work with the reusable ones. Thought of everything, Matt.
Next, you offer the customer a “return 10, get a free box,” whatever works with your economics. I don’t know, I made up all these numbers. OR, and this is the really good part, return one on its own as a new customer and get your first 3 boxes at 50% off, plus a free dessert, scan this QR code for blah blah You can even have them use your box to ship them back in for free, you have $2.50 per box to figure it out. Then run em through the dishwasher when you get em back and they’re good to go again.
Increased revenue, better for the environment, good publicity, get your logo out there more, consumer good will, probably one or two I’m forgetting in there, it’s win after win after don’t worry I won’t do the whole bit.
If you’ve already thought of this and the economics don’t work out then, uh, shut up, it’s 3am and I can’t sleep.
Bye!
THW