For those looking to receive a taste of Canadian goods, Canadian Snack Box has you covered, wherever you are in the world.
By: Vanessa Tiberio
An assortment of classic Canadian snacks is what Canadian Snack Box customers can expect from the various box options. Pictured here is the namesake “Canadian Snack Box.” (Courtesy of Melissa Hurley)
Ever wondered what it would feel like to receive a box of carefully selected Canadian snacks right at your doorstep? Well, Canadian Snack Box aims to do exactly that.
Founded in the summer of 2020, Canadian Snack Box is a subscription-based service and an online store centred around selling strictly Canadian food products, both internationally and domestically.
The products sold are all well-admired Canadian snack delicacies that typically grace the aisles of any supermarket or convenience store here in Canada, including chips, chocolate, cookies and other packaged goods.
The company offers five varieties of snack boxes containing around 10 to 15 different items, ranging in price from $30 to $50. Orders can be shipped globally, with a fulfillment time of approximately three to five business days.
Operating out of Alliston, Ont., Canadian Snack Box owner Melissa Hurley works alongside her husband Stephen to meet the day-to-day demands of fulfilling snack orders.
Growing up in Brampton, Ont., Hurley always had a passion for the food industry and running her own business. She initially went to school to become a hairdresser but decided to switch gears into the food industry to continue following her passions.
“I’ve always liked running my own store and dealing with customers. I just like creating,” said Hurley.
Prior to the pandemic, Hurley operated a café focused on baked goods. However, like many other Canadians, the onset of COVID-19 forced the couple to shut down their café. After fulfilling online orders for a while, the two decided to shift their focus to another project instead. From there, Canadian Snack Box was born.
The small business first launched to just 10 customers with its monthly curated boxes. Fast-forward a few months to the fall of 2020, it had grown exponentially with over 100 monthly subscribers.
The business continued to “blossom into the snack powerhouse that it is now,” said Hurley. Canadian Snack Box currently boasts just under 31,000 followers on TikTok, along with 1,800 followers on Instagram.
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The company primarily markets to foreign nationals looking to get their hands on snacks that they wouldn’t otherwise find in their local markets, as well as Canadians living abroad who may be looking to receive a small touch of home.
Although roughly 85 per cent of orders originate from the United States, Hurley said it never fails to amaze her when she sees demands from different countries.
“I’ve seen orders from Israel… and the Philippines before. Sometimes I look at the address, and I’m like, ‘oh, wow,’” she said.
Despite primarily catering to customers abroad, Hurley said many in-country Canadians make use of the subscription service and snack box options too.
“I have a lot of people from Toronto — believe it or not — order items because they don’t have certain items in their own city,” she said.
A number of packaged snack box orders ready to be shipped out are on full display. With close to 400 orders to fulfill, the 2021 holiday season was especially busy for Canadian Snack Box. (Courtesy of Melissa Hurley)
As the internet and import shops increase the accessibility to Canadian snacks worldwide, Hurley faces several challenges in providing snacks not commonly found or already widely sold in other countries.
To solve this, Hurley has begun consulting with her customers overseas to gauge which snacks they prefer to receive and which ones they have greater access to. This has also helped inform the curation process where Hurley chooses the snacks to send out in her monthly boxes according to customer demands.
Another factor Hurley must keep in mind when preparing her snack boxes is the season and weather conditions that will affect the food items she is shipping out. In the warmer summer months, Hurley tends to omit chocolate items in the boxes as they’re likely to melt before the customers receive them.
Hurley also prides herself on putting her customers first by adding full-sized products to the boxes, rather than just trial-sized goodies that she sees many of her competitors doing.
“If I want to buy something, I don’t want to get something small. I look at my perspective if I were to buy it and how I would feel,” she said.
Canadian Snack Box owner Melissa Hurley stands beside a sign at her newly opened shop, Oh! So Sweet Candy, in Loretto, Ontario. With the success of her snack boxes, Hurley welcomed the launch of her new “rare candies” store on Dec. 18, 2021. (Courtesy of Melissa Hurley)
Selling Canadian snack boxes has allowed Hurley to expand her online retailer into a physical candy store. On Dec. 18, 2021, Hurley opened Oh! So Sweet Candy in Loretto, Ont., which specializes in selling rare and “exotic” candies not typically found at your local grocer.
“I just began selling these rare candies and had candy garage sales where people would come and buy candy, like mini markets, and they were so excited for it. They kept asking if I had a store, so I figured it was time to open one up,” Hurley said.
When she’s not busy fulfilling snack box orders or setting up her rare candies shop, Hurley can be found taking care of her little family of two children. She says the most rewarding aspect of selling Canadian snacks is that she can make doing what she enjoys her full-time job.
“I love making my own hours so I can spend time with my kids. I don’t like working for others as I have my own specific way of running things, so setting my own hours and doing things my own way has been really rewarding,” Hurley said.
As for the future, Hurley looks to continue building her Canadian Snack Box business and using TikTok to advertise her goods. She also hopes to see success in her candy shop and potentially open more locations as it continues to grow.
“I don’t think rare snacks will ever die down,” Hurley said.