If you’re searching for snack boxes to send to your employees, you may have come across SnackNation and are looking for a review. However, before everything else, here’s an important thing you need to know: SnackNation officially rebranded to Caroo in 2020 and no longer ships snack boxes under the SnackNation name. 

This article looks back at what SnackNation offered, why it mattered, and how it evolved into Caroo.

If you want to know how SnackNation started and grew before the rebrand, read on for the full breakdown! If you want to learn about Caroo’s features, pricing, and complete platform details instead, check out our Caroo review.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s get started!

SnackNation Overview

SnackNation, a corporate gifting platform founded in 2014, specialized in curated snack boxes designed to enhance employee wellness and workplace engagement. The platform sourced from over 5,000 brands and focuses on healthier alternatives to traditional office snacks. Its core products included nutrition bars, jerky, dried fruit, popcorn, granola, trail mix, and sweets, all delivered in pre-selected or customizable boxes.

In 2020, SnackNation rebranded to Caroo, expanding beyond snacks into a more comprehensive employee care and gifting platform. While the SnackNation brand no longer operates, understanding its roots helped explain Caroo’s evolution. SnackNation represented Caroo’s foundation: curated snacks, workplace wellness, and social impact through Feeding America. Caroo built on this by adding gifts, gift cards, and technology to support remote and hybrid teams.

Note: SnackNation no longer sends out snack boxes and redirects all related inquiries to Simpalo. If you wish to know more about Caroo instead, read this Caroo review.

Main Features

What were SnackNation’s key features?

Snack boxes

As mentioned above, SnackNation’s main offering was its curated snack boxes. These came in several sizes and were customizable. Each box was packed with 12 snack types, totaling between 75 and 160 individually packaged items, depending on the subscription tier. The assortment included bars, jerky, chips, sweets, trail mix, popcorn, and more.

Subscribers often noticed that some months included premium items that cost significantly more than the average snack. This was offset by lower total snack volume, ensuring that snack boxes stayed within budget while still remaining consistent without sacrificing quality.

Customization options

The platform also offered various customization options, including Snack Sneak Peek and a preference quiz. Snack Sneak Peek allowed recipients to preview and swap out snacks before delivery, ensuring they only received items they would enjoy. For the preference quiz, companies could submit recipient preferences, allergies, or dietary requirements so that SnackNation could curate the boxes accordingly. If no changes were made, then you’d get the platform’s pre-curated snack box choices.

Social responsibility commitments

For every box shipped by SnackNation, the platform donated meals to Feeding America. SnackNation donated millions of meals, positioning itself as a partner for organizations with ESG and social responsibility goals.

Corporate gifting blogs and resources

While SnackNation’s snack box services are no longer active, its website is still up and running, with regular publications of fresh content about corporate gifting ideas and employee engagement resources. The platform has various articles about swag and gift ideas, HR software tools, employee gifting, and wellness.

Pricing

SnackNation didn’t explicitly mention subscription tiers on its website. However, the platform used to offer ‘SnackNation+’, which included on-site delivery by a dedicated concierge, stocking and merchandising services, ready-to-drink beverages, and equipment rental and maintenance. This premium tier was only available in the greater Los Angeles area and may have been part of a broader set of subscription tiers.

So, to learn more about the platform’s actual subscription fees, companies had to reach out to its sales team.

Pros and Cons

What were SnackNation’s advantages and disadvantages back in the day?

Pros

✅ Social responsibility commitments: Every SnackNation box contributed to Feeding America, with meals donated for every purchase.

✅ Curated snacks and choices: SnackNation offered a wide variety of options like protein bars, trail mix, jerky, and fruit-based snacks for a convenient way to promote workplace wellness.

✅ Dedicated account manager: The platform would assign you a dedicated account manager to help adjust snack mixes and help scale your employee snack programs.

Cons

❌ Expensive: Compared to buying snacks directly, SnackNation’s curated boxes were pricey. Some reviewers noted that the per-snack cost feels high.

❌ Limited scope: SnackNation’s biggest drawback was that it only offered snacks. Unlike competitors that provide On Demand, bulk, and marketing swag, localized gifts, gift cards, and swag kits, SnackNation didn’t offer items beyond snack boxes.

❌ Not suitable for global teams: SnackNation served the US and Canada markets exclusively, with additional shipping costs for Hawaii and Alaska. This meant it wasn’t a great option for international companies.

❌ Absence of advanced tools for automation: SnackNation didn’t integrate with HR systems, CRM tools, or marketing software. This meant you couldn’t automate milestone gifting for birthdays, work anniversaries, or new hires.

❌ Poor resolution of customer issues: Customers reported challenges with cancellations, delayed responses, or difficulties resolving billing issues with SnackNation.

The platform’s rebrand into Caroo addresses some of the cons mentioned above. For instance, Caroo offers gift cards and CareCards for employee recognition programs. For the full breakdown of what makes Caroo different after the rebranding, make sure to explore our Caroo review.

Summary

SnackNation’s main strength was in its specialization as a healthy snack gifting platform. It offered over 5,000 nutritious snack options, customizable snack boxes, and free shipping within the US. The company’s commitment to social responsibility, donating a meal to Feeding America for every box delivered, also appealed to those who have ESG commitments. However, the platform was limited by its US-only shipping model, lack of broader swag or non-snack gifting options, and advanced tools for comprehensive swag management. Its focus on snacks alone wasn’t suitable for a more diverse and flexible swag or gifting platform.

Looking for more flexible swag and gifting solutions? Explore the best SnackNation alternatives

While SnackNation exceled at curated healthy snacks, it wasn’t the top choice if you seek flexibility in gifting options and global fulfillment, including a wider range of products and integration with HR and CRM systems. 

Exploring SnackNation alternatives can help you find solutions that combine global coverage, a wider range of swag and gift options, and tools that streamline gifting at scale. If these are what you need, then check out our compilation of some worthy SnackNation competitors with more flexible and comprehensive swag and gifting solutions.

SnackNation (Caroo) vs PerkUp, the #1 platform for comprehensive swag and gifting solutions

The main difference between SnackNation (now Caroo) and PerkUp? The flexibility and comprehensiveness of their swag and gifting solutions.

SnackNation focused on curated snack boxes for employee wellness, and Caroo has expanded that offering into a broader employee care and gifting platform. Still, PerkUp provides a more comprehensive, all-in-one solution for global teams on one platform. This includes swag (On Demand, bulk, and marketing), localized gifts (including food and food baskets), gift cards, automation, integration, global fulfillment, warehousing, and more.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive breakdown of the differences between the two platforms, then read our SnackNation (Caroo) vs PerkUp blog to understand why companies like Inhabit and Wellhub choose PerkUp.