OwlCrate
 | |
| Company type | Subscription service |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
Key people | Robert Madden (founder) Korrina Ede (co-founder) |
| Website | www |
OwlCrate is a web-based subscription service business specializing in monthly boxes shipped out internationally by mail, themed around books and book collecting. While OwlCrate is largely popular with book reviewers on social media, the service ships books to anybody within select available countries who places an order. Subscription boxes are largely themed around the fiction genres of science fiction and fantasy, with boxes designed both for young children and adolescent readers. Subscription boxes typically contain an exclusive (rare design) book cover with an author autograph, and a variety of surprise items associated with the book, including coffee mugs, t-shirts, pillow cases, lip balm, stickers, pinback buttons, jewellery and other paraphernalia.[1]
History
Owlcrate was founded in 2014. It was officially launched in February 2015 after months of development by its founders, Robert Madden and Korrina Ede.[2][3] It began as a small home-based business from Vancouver, British Columbia, with the first book title included in the OwlCrate shipments being V. E. Schwab's fantasy novel A Darker Shade of Magic.[4] Since 2015, OwlCrate has reportedly amassed thousands of subscribers, many of whom include Goodreads book reviewers, social media gurus, authors and book collectors.[5] Owlcrate currently operates and ships its subscription boxes from Portland Oregon.[2]
In comparison, OwlCrate orders most of its non-book stock from independent artists, and continues to sell remaining stock from previous monthly boxes at a reduced price until the stock eventually runs out. One of the biggest assets that initially drew fans to the subscription service was that the OwlCrate versions of shipped books always have an exclusive cover and are autographed by the author, with most of these authors being traditionally-published by large publishing houses. According to a thesis study done through the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology at Simon Fraser University, "exclusive covers vary book to book — some books will have a slight change in colour or font, some will have significant changes, and some will have a totally different and unique cover. Sometimes OwlCrate edition books will have sprayed or foiled edges as well. Having these extra details allows subscribers to see the value in OwlCrate books versus buying the book in the traditional bookstore or online."[6]
Harry Potter Paraphernalia Controversy
In 2020, OwlCrate began facing criticism for selling items related to the children's fantasy book series Harry Potter, owing to the series' author, J.K. Rowling transphobic posts on Twitter.[7]In response OwlCrate stated that the company had been created originally with a love of Harry Potter for its inspiration, and that an admiration for the Harry Potter franchise did not equate to support of Rowling's remarks about transgender people. The company discontinued the sale of any Harry Potter-themed merchandise for one year, before resuming the sale of Harry Potter merchandise in 2021. The decision was controversial and was met with further backlash on Instagram and Twitter.[8]
Subsequently, OwlCrate decided to completely cease the sale of all Harry Potter products and announced that a portion of the proceeds made from selling Harry Potter merchandise during this period would be given to charities supporting transgender rights. Owlcrate’s founder also pledged to donate $10,000 to The National Center for Transgender Equality.[9] The company has not sold any Harry Potter items or J.K. Rowling items since 2021.
OwlCrate Jr.
OwlCrate Jr. is the secondary branch of OwlCrate, targeted towards young children from ages 8-12 as its demographic.[10][11][12] Subscription boxes include toys, games, books, author letters, activity pads, stickers and other items related to the box's main book.[13][14][15] OwlCrate Jr. was picked as one of the winners of the National Parenting Product Awards (N.P.P.A.) in November 2021.[16]
See also
References
- ^ Cowley, Stacey. "Want to Shop for a Surprise? Try a Subscription Box". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Our Story". www.owlcrate.com. OwlCrate. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Book lovers can't get enough of this Vancouver subscription box". Vancouver Is Awesome. 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "How OwlCrate grew its subscription box business from basement to packing facility in six months".
- ^ Cowley, Stacey. "Want to Shop for a Surprise? Try a Subscription Box". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Ketheeswaran, Avvai. "OwlCrate: A Case Study of Subscription Book Boxes". theses.lib.sfu.ca. Simon Fraser University. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Westmoreland, Kelsie. "The OwlCreate Controversy Again Looks At The Implications Of Supporting J.K. Rowling". studybreaks.com. StudyBreaks. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Ellis, Danika. "OwlCrate Reverses Decision, Reintroduces Harry Potter Items in Boxes". bookriot.com. BookRiot. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Shotwell, Alyssa. "OwlCrate Reverses Decision To Sell Harry Potter Mugs After Community Backlash". www.themarysue.com. The Mary Sue. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "The best book subscription services of 2023". ZDNET. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "You've Got Mail: Book Boxes Offer Novels And Novelty Items". NPR.
- ^ Durham, Madison. "OwlCrate is the perfect gift for the young reader in your life—here's why". Reviewed USA Today. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "A Book Subscription for Kids!". www.owlcrate.com. OwlCrate. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Unleash Your Child's Inner Bookworm with OwlCrate Jr". Macaroni KID National. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ "OwlCrate Jr.: A Monthly Book Subscription Service | Dedicated Review – The Children's Book Review". www.thechildrensbookreview.com. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
- ^ Epstein, Elena. "Check out these children's books picked by the NAPPA Awards that will make a great gift". www.citizen-times.com. Citizen Times. Retrieved 1 January 2022.