Manpacks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manpacks
Company typePrivate
IndustryMen's essentials subscription
FoundedJanuary 2010
DefunctAugust 2018
HeadquartersProvidence, Rhode Island
Key people
Founded by Ken Johnson and Andrew Draper
ProductsMen's underwear, undershirts, socks, hygienic items
Websitehttp://www.manpacks.com/

Manpacks was a quarterly subscription service offering men's underwear, socks, toiletries and other basic needs.[1] Buyers created their pack with offered items including boxer briefs, undershirts, socks, shaving products, and condoms, and the pack was automatically delivered every three months.[2] The service has been discontinued.[3]

Foundation[edit]

Ken Johnson and Andrew Draper started working on the concept for Manpacks in December 2009 and founded the company in January 2010.[4][5] Manpacks began as an experimental side project, but demand increased. Soon, customer management and the processing of orders turned into a full-time job.[citation needed] Upon launch, the site offered only offered underwear and socks.[6]

Manpacks was the first American subscription ecommerce service offering men's essentials.[7][8][9] Numerous sites have since spawned and imitated Manpacks' business model.[10][11] Shortly after launch, Manpacks was accepted into Betaspring's startup accelerator program.[12] The company at one time had more than 10,000 subscribers.[13]

Description[edit]

Manpacks automatically shipped men basic needs like socks, underwear, razors, and toiletries every three months or when desired.[14][15] Three months after placing an order, Manpacks would send customers a shipment reminder email.[14] Manpacks' primary customers were people buying for the men in their life, men who are averse to shopping, and the lazy.[1][4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Manjoo, Farhad (June 9, 2010). "The Man, the Mouse and the Wardrobe". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Wong, Danny (July 20, 2010). "Innovations in E-Commerce: The Subscription Business Model". Huffington Post.
  3. ^ "Manpacks". August 22, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Odegard, Dave. "Manpacks, For a post-sniff test America". Maxim. Archived from the original on 2012-10-28. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  5. ^ Vora, Shivani (October 1, 2010). "Would You Buy Underwear By Subscription?". Inc.
  6. ^ Kirsner, Scott (June 10, 2010). "Netflix for undies, and more, at Monday's Web Innovators Group". The Boston Globe.
  7. ^ Chiang, Ben (April 18, 2012). "Subscribe For A Full Box Of Surprise". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  8. ^ "Innovators: 3 Unusual Ecommerce Models". PracticalEcommerce.com. August 4, 2011.
  9. ^ Wilhelm, Alex (April 9, 2012). "InsideManpacks, the hot essentials subscription service for dudes". The Next Web.
  10. ^ Gratt, Matt (March 28, 2012). "Thoughts on #Subcom (Subscription eCommerce)". Grattisfaction.com.
  11. ^ Warren, Renee (March 30, 2012). "Life of the Subscription Model". ReneeWarren.com.
  12. ^ "BetaspringProfile: Manpacks". Betaspring.com.
  13. ^ Mullins, Richard (April 8, 2012). "For males who avoid malls". The Tampa Tribune.
  14. ^ a b About FAQ Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine. Manpacks.com.
  15. ^ "HowHacker News Helped Manpacks Take Off – with Ken Johnson". Mixergy. November 1, 2010.

External links[edit]