Whether it’s a mystery teabag or new make-up, an element of surprise comes packaged within many subscription boxes. Canvas8 spoke to Aditya Gupta, a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to understand how surprise impacts the experience of self-gifting.

From impulse-buys and spontaneous purchases that celebrate reaching a goal to practical gifts that are made to last, the reasons why people might buy gifts for themselves are varied. Canvas8 polled 1,000 Americans and spoke to six people to find out what prompts them to self-gift.

For luxury fashion brands that have long relied on their prestige and exclusivity to court new customers, change is afoot. As they face up to a pandemic-induced recession and young shoppers who are digitally-savvy and socially conscious, how are they adapting to earn and maintain loyalty?

Gucci has announced a collab with Kai, member of the Korean boy band EXO, in its latest brand-artist capsule collection. As people look to fashion brands to be more inclusive, accessible, and fun, Kai’s collection is playing on this shift with light-hearted designs adorned with a teddy bear.