What are streetwear Mystery Boxes?

Last year, a number of retailers were forced to declare bankruptcy following the pandemic and the partial paralysis of sales in the world of luxury fashion. If fast-fashion giants such as Zara and H&M emerged invigorated by twelve months of lockdowns and closed stores, companies like Century 21 and Stein Mart weren't as lucky, being forced to close permanently. 

Instead, there is someone who seems to have found a solution to the problem, taking advantage of a Youtube trend and making it a real business model. Relying on unsold goods and factory stock, Heat and Scarce have decided to create luxury mystery boxes containing items from brands such as Moncler, Balenciaga and Off-White. Available only via drop, the mystery boxes are sold at a lower price than the total of the goods contained within, thus giving the buyer not only the thrill of discovery for top-secret content but also an excellent reason to choose to do shopping in the dark. 

Born as a trend on Youtube in the wake of the hype culture, luxury mystery boxes have proved to be a success for Heat, capable of selling hundreds of them only in the first hours online. Obviously, we do not have a final solution to the decline in retail due to the pandemic, but it is undeniable that the idea had by the two retailers can become a model capable of ferrying different realities out of the bad waters of the crisis.