The ipsy subscription box program now has over a million young women waiting by the mailbox every month for a Glam Bag of cosmetic samples, each chosen by a beauty expert to match their skin, eye and hair color.  Companies submit hundreds of products each month in the hopes of getting these “try before you buy” samples in the hands of youthful consumers. Subscribers, who pay $10 a month service, often eagerly contribute to the accompanying social media campaigns. 

An older company in the field of beauty subscription boxes is Birchbox, which was founded in 2010 and is now international. Their boxes are also $10  a month, and they offer a $20 a month box for men.  In addition to the monthly boxes, Birchbox sells full-size beauty products — some of which are exclusives — online and in their flagship store in SoHo, NY.  As their site says, “We want what no one else has. We’ve loaded up our shop with beauty and lifestyle items that you won’t find anywhere else.”  

Lest you think that subscription boxes are all about cosmetics, check out the popular one for dog owners called Barkbox.  Cat lovers can also get into the act with KitNipBox, which comes in a version for single cats and multiple cat households.  (The British Cat Hampurr is the source of the illustration above.) And for foodies, there are healthy and not-so-healthy options such as Love with Food and Graze — and even one from one of our suppliers, Stonewall Kitchen.

Another twist on the subscription box idea is a shipment of merchandise that is only on loan, such as the jewelry offered by Rocksbox.  After signing on (and creating a profile) subscribers receive three pieces of jewelry to keep for as long as they want.  When they are ready, they return the items in the box and get a new set.  Check out this article in Real Simple for some additional examples of this concept.

Monthly box subscriptions are being promoted as gifts, because they are the perfect combination of merchandise and experience. Instead of selecting a single item, the giver gets to provide the recipient with a surprise package over and over again. And since most subscriptions are charged monthly, the initial outlay is less than purchasing a $120 gift (in the case of those that are $10 a month, just as an example).

What do these ideas have to do with brick and mortar retail?  Their popularity tells us that consumers like to get surprises delivered to their home or office. And as long as the value of the box’s content appears to be equal or greater than what they paid, they don’t mind not selecting what they receive. It is important, however, that the products be “curated” to meet the consumer’s expectations, and that the packaging be attractive.   Not an idea that every shopkeeper can take advantage of — but the fact that the Book of the Month Club is celebrating its 90th anniversary show that the concept has some real potential.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder