Boxed, Inc.

Boxed, Inc.
Company type	Public
Industry	Online retail, Wholesale
Founded	August 2013; 13 years ago
Founder	Chieh Huang, Jared Yaman, Christopher Cheung, William Fong
Defunct	April 2, 2023
Fate	Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; acquired by MSG Distributors in 2023
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Prentis Wilson (President)
Products	Bulk package sales via mobile app and website
Parent	MSG Distributors (since 2023)
Website	boxed.com

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Boxed, Inc., available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 26 July 2025

Boxed, Inc. is a U.S.-based online wholesale retailer specializing in bulk package sales through its mobile application and website, frequently likened to Costco. Established in August 2013 by Chieh Huang, Jared Yaman, Christopher Cheung, and William Fong, the company is headquartered in New York City. It manages three distribution centers located in New Jersey, Nevada, and Texas, which support two-day shipping, along with a support office situated in San Mateo, California.

In 2016, Boxed raised $132 million in capital from investors such as GGV Capital and DST Global, followed by an additional $111 million in 2018 from Aeon Group. The company went public in 2021 via a merger with the special-purpose acquisition company Seven Oaks Acquisition Corp., resulting in a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Nevertheless, on April 2, 2023, Boxed filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

History

The founders of Boxed—Chieh Huang, Christopher Cheung, William Fong, and Jared Yaman—launched the mobile app in August 2013 to facilitate wholesale product purchases with delivery options. Huang developed the concept inspired by his New York City experience, where access to wholesale clubs was limited compared to New Jersey. Drawing on their background in mobile gaming, the team created applications for both iPhone and Android platforms before launching the Boxed website.

Boxed initially operated out of Huang’s garage in Edison, New Jersey, and opened its first fulfillment center there in December 2013.

In May 2014, Boxed rolled out Express, an on-demand grocery delivery service covering large areas of New York City, segments of New Jersey, and Boston. This service provided bulk fresh and frozen grocery items with scheduled delivery windows.

By January 2017, Boxed attracted media coverage as a wholesale shopping app catering to millennials. In 2018, Business Insider drew comparisons between Boxed and Costco. That same year, the company introduced Boxed Up, a membership program that included free shipping benefits.

In May 2019, Boxed established a partnership with Lidl to offer grocery delivery services. Prentis Wilson joined as president in July 2019, bringing strategic expertise from Amazon Business. The following month, Boxed teamed up with Century 21 to expand into beauty and apparel products—marking its initial foray beyond groceries—until Century 21 filed for bankruptcy in September 2020.

On August 18, 2023, MSG Distributors acquired Boxed with intentions to revive the brand. The website and mobile application were relaunched under new ownership in July 2024.

Features

Customers can shop on Boxed through desktop browsers or via the company's dedicated iOS app and Android applications.

August 2017 saw the launch of SMART Stock up, a feature utilizing machine learning algorithms to anticipate when customers might be running low on items and provide reminders upon login to streamline reordering.

Complementing SMART Stock up is Concierge—a fully automated shopping service employing the same predictive technology to pre-pack and ship orders without requiring customer input. This offering is currently limited to B2B clients.

Prince & Spring

Introduced in June 2015, Prince & Spring is Boxed’s upscale private label featuring premium household necessities and organic grocery items such as coffee and olive oil. The brand has received three design accolades at the Vertex Awards and is exclusively available through Boxed.

Boxed Hotels

In June 2017, Boxed ventured into the travel sector by launching Boxed Hotels, an online reservation service that provides customers with discounts of up to 45% on a wide selection of hotels globally.

Corporate social responsibility

Launched in October 2016, the Rethink Pink initiative by Boxed aimed to combat the Pink Tax by equalizing the prices of female hygiene products with those for men, with the company absorbing the cost difference. Additionally, Boxed contributed to lowering state sales taxes on tampons and pads across 36 states.

This campaign attracted backing from influential political leaders such as New York Senator Chuck Schumer and received coverage from prominent media outlets including CNN, Fox News, CBS News, and Entrepreneur.

For Giving Tuesday 2016, Boxed collaborated with Unilever to donate women’s personal care products—among the most requested items in shelters—reflecting a philanthropic approach consistent with its corporate principles.

Company benefits

In May 2015, founder Huang committed to financing college tuition for children of all full-time employees working in fulfillment centers. A year later, in May 2016, the company introduced a benefit offering up to $20,000 toward wedding expenses for any full-time employee.

Partnerships

Boxed has established key alliances with prominent companies such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Lidl US, Uber, and Zulily to broaden its market presence and enhance customer interaction.

Achievements

In June 2016, Boxed was honored with the Emerging E-tailor of The Year award by Internet Retailer. By September of that year, Crain's recognized it as one of New York City’s top 100 workplaces. In October 2016, Forbes included Boxed among the promising startups poised to reach billion-dollar valuations, underscoring its rapid growth and industry impact.

References