By Corinne Stremmel/Staff Writer
These days, you can practically get a subscription for anything — meal kits, beauty products and even clothing — so why not subscribe to a box specifically curated to your hometown?
The White Bear Box is part of several box concepts business owner Alan Haskins calls Elevated Boxes, which started during the pandemic when businesses were experiencing a lull.
“It’s one of those things that came out of the pandemic. My company was slow, and we were working on new things like our box called the Uff Da Box,” said Haskins.
Haskins then acquired the Love Minnesota Box which, like the Uff Da Box, is a gift box filled with Minnesota-made products (think Mancini’s Sauce, Tea Source Tea, a Midwest pencil set from Wild North Company, and even elk jerky from Premium Midwestern Elk).
“Those are great because they address, broadly, the whole state. But I had a number of people who wanted something from just around here,” said Haskins.
As Haskins, who lives on Bald Eagle Lake, put it, “People in White Bear love White Bear.” So he started to curate town-specific boxes, including the “Tonka Box” for those who love Minnetonka.
Haskins got to work selecting shelf-stable products to add to the box. Coffee, scrub brushes and caramels are among the eight to 10 items folks can find in the box, though Haskins plans on changing up products so people can experience a variety of local products.
“It’s a win, win, win perspective. In this sense, every business in the box is a small business from the area,” said Haskins. “These aren’t giant companies. When I sell a box, these businesses get a profit. It’s a small way to make businesses and the community a little bit stronger.”
While the box’s insides are full of locally sourced products, Haskins wasn’t afraid to think outside of the box when it came to design.
“What makes it unique is that it is designed to show the history from the area,” said Haskins.
The boxes are highly curated right down to the box’s exterior, which shows historical photos of White Bear and iconic images of the lake.
Boxes are ready to order at https://whitebearbox.com and will be for sale during Marketfest.
Staff Writer Corinne Stremmel can be reached by calling 651-407-1226 or emailing lowdownnews@presspubs.com.