Brandless is a company that launched in July 2017, I’ve been interested in them since launch and recently placed an order- here’s my review of the Brandless experience.
Brandless Site: Before receiving my package, I’ll take you through my review of the site experience- because I’m all about that. I think their site has some strengths and weaknesses. They don’t highlight enough of what they’re good at, and focus on aspects they don’t need to. For example, when you hover over a product, you get a list of product attributes that aren’t needed or relevant (ie. 100% pure, No Artificial Flavors), etc.. This info can be placed on the product pages…which it is. They should use
what they’re good at, which is making sure almost every product has a lifestyle image. Instead of seeing values when you hover over a product, lets see those eye-catching images. Brandless does a nice job on their Product Detail Pages by keeping them simple and without too many busy distractions (ahem Amazon).
Product Selection: They have an unbelievable amount of products, all for $3. This also includes household products, supplements, and office supplies (which I can’t imagine does well). They constantly have new products added to their catalog- I’m looking forward to seeing more meal ingredients to balance out the large selection of snack food.
My First Order: Interestingly, I received my shipment notification shortly after the box was delivered. I assume because I’m only 10 miles from HQ. The box and the way everything was packed, was well designed. My only critique is that there were one too many brochures and promotional cards included in the box. My order total was $35, including $1 for the shipping since it was my first order. There were 12 items in my order.
Trying the Food: The first item I went for were the gummy worms, and they are SO good! Since ordering this over a month ago I’ve tried everything here. My favorite products, besides the candy, were the quinoa puffs (tastes like healthy Cheetos), jelly (not loaded with sugar), maple syrup (tastes like real maple syrup, but $10 cheaper), and the tongs and spatula. I use the tongs and spatula all the time when I cook now, and I feel much safer about using the silicone material on my pans than wood or steel. I also really like the subtle Brandless engraving). My least favorites were the maple vanilla cookies (too much maple) and the vanilla choco granola (too much of a dessert for breakfast).
Would I order again? In short, yes but not anytime soon. I’m going to keep checking back to see how they’re expanding their catalog. I’d really like to get more ingredients that I can use in my meals for my next order. Although called Brandless, they are actually developing a clean and inexpensive brand that I think many millennials will be interested in if they aren’t already.
