Subscription box

Sara Heegaard March 3, 20222 minute read

Sara is a copywriter focused on lifting up Recharge's merchants, partners, and their customers. Before Recharge, her past lives included writing and editing at four different subscription... Full bio

What is a subscription box?

A subscription box is a group of physical products packaged in a box and delivered to customers on a regular, recurring schedule. Today, the subscription box industry is experiencing enormous growth, and shoppers can find subscription boxes with everything from beauty products to home goods to flower delivery services to snacks from around the world.

What are curation and replenishment subscription boxes?

In curation subscriptions, merchants curate a box of one or more products, typically organized around a certain theme. For example, beauty subscription boxes often offer a curated selection of makeup and skincare items that vary with each delivery to bring surprise and joy to subscribers. In replenishment subscriptions (also known as “subscribe-and-save”), the same items are shipped to the customer on a recurring schedule, often for a discounted price. For example, a coffee subscription could offer a monthly box filled with a customer’s preferred coffee beans, with a 15% discount for the customer. Though monthly subscription services are common, a subscription box service can deliver on any cadence.

Why choose subscription boxes?

A subscription service can offer many benefits for both customers and merchants. For customers, the list of benefits can include convenience, novelty, and affordability. On the merchant side, there are many benefits, including predictable revenue on a set cadence due to the recurring nature of the product. Subscription services also have the opportunity to create a community of engaged subscription members, which can increase brand loyalty, awareness, and trust.