BUBS Naturals triples new subscriber growth by pairing disciplined economics with high-impact strategy

BUBS Naturals creates high-quality nutritional supplements focused on performance and longevity. From collagen peptides to MCT oil creamers and electrolytes, the brand serves everyone from Olympic athletes and professional sports teams to everyday customers committed to living healthier, more adventurous lives.

“

Subscribers had 4x the lifetime value of non-subscribers, but only 20% of new customers were choosing subscription. That told us exactly where the opportunity was.”

Kevin TigheChief Revenue Officer, BUBS Naturals

Challenge

BUBS had strong products, healthy margins, and a category built for repeat purchase. Analysis showed that retention was strong once customers entered subscription, with 4x the lifetime value of non-subscribers.

However, only about 20% of first-time customers were opting into subscription — far below what the business could support. The opportunity was clear: increase subscription adoption, without sacrificing profitability or creating unsustainable churn.

To unlock that growth responsibly, BUBS needed the right infrastructure. The brand made the decision to return to Recharge as its subscription partner, choosing a platform built to support disciplined testing, deeper analytics, and scalable performance.

Solution

The strategy focused on two core levers: making subscription the obvious choice at purchase and increasing upfront value.

First, the team reworked their product pages to lead with subscription by default and tested offers compelling enough to shift behavior. They introduced a high-value Welcome Box for first-time subscribers, valued at over $100 in complementary products, accessories and a discount for a future purchase. The Welcome Box reframed subscriptions from a discount decision to a value decision, increasing immediate upside and making subscription the obvious first choice. That shift in framing made the first order compelling enough to drive adoption at scale.

The offer was intentionally strong, but carefully modeled against LTV and payback targets to ensure sustainable growth.

“

I trust Recharge, and have been impressed with how aggressively the product has improved. When subscription became a major focus for us, I knew it was the partner we could scale with.”

Kevin TigheChief Revenue Officer, BUBS Naturals

Execution

Recharge’s subscription infrastructure allowed BUBS to move quickly and iterate continuously. The team deployed upsell and cross-sell widgets across key moments in the customer journey, including pre-checkout modals, in-cart offers, and post-purchase flows.

One of the highest-performing tactics was an upsell widget that prompted new subscribers to upgrade from a single-month supply to a three-month supply before checkout. 25% of customers presented with the offer accepted it, significantly increasing average order value and locking in higher lifetime value from day one.

Recharge’s analytics tools, particularly cohort reporting, allowed the team to precisely monitor LTV, retention trends, and payback periods in real time. With clear visibility into subscriber performance, BUBS leaned into acquisition when CAC aligned with projected value, and pulled back when it didn’t.

This disciplined approach enabled rapid scaling without compromising unit economics.

Results

Within a year, BUBS tripled new subscriber growth. The percentage of first-time customers choosing subscription increased from 20% to over 70%, a fundamental shift in how the brand acquired customers.

Upsell and cross-sell programs further increased early revenue capture, with 25% of eligible customers upgrading to larger subscription plans before checkout.

By pairing strong offers with strict LTV-to-CAC guardrails, BUBS accelerated growth efficiently. Subscription shifted from a supporting channel to the primary growth engine, compounding revenue while maintaining control over profitability.

“

Once we had the economics dialed in and Recharge supporting the program, we tripled our subscriber growth in a year. It has changed the trajectory of the business.”

Kevin TigheChief Revenue Officer, BUBS Naturals