Recently, while taking a walk in the city, I ran across a pop-up store for the website Brandless.com. Brandless is a fairly new entry to the online shopping market and their gimmick is they have a basket of 350 goods and everything on the site is $3, or some multiple of that amount (depending on quantity).
The front of the Brandless.com pop-up store |
A peek inside the pop-up store |
Everything $3 you say?
Yep. And truth be told some of their products are quite good, at least the ones they had available to try. Like anything purchasable online you have to really take a close look at what's being sold to find bargains. Like other online stores, the key is to buy enough (or at the right time) to beat the shipping. But if you are looking online for products that are GMO-free, feature natural ingredients fully stated in plain English on the front of the package and with environmentally conscious packaging you can definitely find some value here.So what did I think?
Overall their products were quite good, and depending on the product I can see a value in the quality and the social statement, but as I mentioned you have to shop carefully. For some products based on the price and size/amount, you can do better locally.
Brandless.com snack station (granola and popcorn) |

Brandless.com does offer some unique flavors to compensate for the value though. I was given a variety selection containing: white cheddar, olive oil & sea salt and truffle oil with black pepper. The white cheddar I liked the most, but the truffle and black pepper were actually pretty spicy with the taste of the black pepper pretty prominent.
My overall favorite item was the whole wheat animal cookies. They were delicious! And for animal cookie lovers (come on, admit it, you always loved them!) you won't go wrong. The only downside is the plain packaging, I grew up with the classic Nabisco animal crackers and always was fond of the circus-themed box.
So What Else Do They Sell?
Besides food, Brandless.com also carries a variety of household and beauty products. These were not available for trying, though you could handle the packaging and smell, touch and feel some of them. I buy my soaps and cleaning products locally so wasn't as interested in that. If you are I highly suggest visiting their website for the full basket of products.
They also sell tableware, which they had mounted on a huge wall
They were serving this at a makeshift bar but no one was leaving, this probably meant it was good.
Overall Impressions
- If you shop carefully you can find some decent values here, especially if you are single or a couple. The price/size/quantity is perfect for that but can get pricey quickly for a family.
- If you are a fan of organic, all-natural, non-GMO and environmentally packed products you will definitely find value here.
- Everything I sampled tasted yummy, they definitely pay attention to the taste of their products
- I love the ingredient list in bold right on the front of the package in simple, clear English. No need to decipher chemical lists.
- I actually liked the idea of the pop-up store sample and wish they did it in more places around the country to introduce shoppers to their website.
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