Jules
3 min read
Sep 18, 2019

Key Points:

  • Research suggests that 3 in 4 eCommerce brands will offer a subscription service by 2023
  • Subscription boxes are product collections that ship regularly with the aim to deliver a unique experience
  • Prior to starting a subscription box business, you should first determine if you’ll be sourcing free products, paid products or both

Interested in starting a subscription box company? You’re not alone! Research suggests that 3 in 4 eCommerce brands will offer a subscription service by 2023.

The subscription box business has taken off like an eCommerce rocket in recent years and for good reason. Shoppers have come to regard box services as an easy way to discover trendy and unique items from the convenience of their homes.

This post helps you understand how to start a subscription box company that reaches, compels, and converts your audience from day one.

What is a Subscription Box?

Subscription boxes are product collections that ship regularly with the aim to deliver a unique experience. Why do customers love them? Monthly subscription boxes give consumers an opportunity to experience a variety of products at little expense. Convenience, novelty, and savings? That's a triple threat in eCommerce.

For retailers, it offers a stable financial model based on recurring monthly income. Almost every niche can support subscription boxes, from beauty to fashion, pet products to DIY, and much more. If you play your cards right, your idea could be the next big thing people are unboxing.

Features of subscription boxes generally include:

  • Physical items
  • A recurring subscription
  • Surprise items within a given box
  • Curated content
  • The opportunity to see clear savings from the subscription price
  • Visually-appealing presentation and packaging

The subscription box business model isn’t going anywhere anytime soon - meaning now’s the perfect time to dive right into it!

Products Inside Subscription Box

How Can I Get Products for Subscription Boxes?

In order to build a successful subscription box business, it’s important to understand how you can source high-quality products. This shouldn’t be an issue in this day and age, as some places to source products for a subscription-based business include:

  • Various search engines such as Google
  • Local retail stores
  • Niche eCommerce websites
  • Wholesalers
  • Etsy
  • Networking with other vendors
  • Alibaba

Prior to starting a subscription box business, you should first determine if you’ll be sourcing free products, paid products, or both. This way, you can offer items that add value and turn a tidy profit!

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Subscription Box?

There is no fixed price on the amount you should expect to spend in making subscription boxes.

Being that each box typically goes for $10 to $40 per month, however, you can build your budget around these prices as a general rule of thumb. Depending on your target audience and products being offered, you can offer your boxes to be low-priced or high-priced, as long as you’re able to make some profit without reducing the value of the subscription box.

If you can afford it, you can also liaise with other vendors who offer free subscription boxes and use them to build your audience before introducing the paid service.

To do List to Market Subscription Box

How Do You Market a Subscription Box?

To successfully market a subscription eCommerce business to your target audience, consider the following strategies:

Initiate Affiliate Marketing Programs

These entail paying affiliates when they refer customers to you. This can result in increased shares and promotion of your boxes. You can always use affiliate programs like Flex Offers, Avantlink, Sharesale, Skimlinks, and others to do this!

Work With Social Media Influencers

This is another unique way to get your business before a wider target audience. You can reach out to influencers on various social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see about working with them. A good number of these influencers could be willing to endorse products for a fee!

Reach Out To Bloggers

This is another unique way to make your subscription box business ideas grow quickly and cost-effectively. Your target should be bloggers with high traffic and relevant content. Send them an email, letting them know that you would love to offer them a box in exchange for having a review done on their blog. Doing this can expose your subscription box business to a broader audience quickly.

Use Your Existing Customers

Yes, you can actually create more awareness for your subscription boxes business through your current customers! Offer incentives like additional items or a free monthly subscription in exchange for referrals.

Be a Part of Social Media Communities

Another unique way to give a boost to your subscription box business is by being a part of various social media communities. From forums to Facebook groups, there are lots of communities out there that you can use to spread the word about your subscription box business. You can start by creating engaging content and with time, you can potentially build a large following that you can market your business to.

Steps to Create a Subscription Box Service

If you’ve been thinking about how to start a subscription box company, you need to fully understand the steps for creating one. Some of the steps to starting a subscription box business include:

1. Start Off With a Unique Idea

Do proper market research before starting a subscription box business. Find a niche that interests you and examine the competition, target audience, pricing and growth prospects in that field.

2. Research and Price Your Box Right

Do some competitive research and closely examine the budget for your subscription box business. See how you can turn a healthy profit without pricing your subscription box too high, which could turn potential customers away from your company and towards your competitors.

3. Create a Prototype Box

Next, create a prototype subscription box in order to find out how best they’ll be packaged when the customer receives them, what packing materials to use and what box dimensions and packaging design works best.

4. Create a Website

You guessed it - this is a pretty important step!

Create a user-friendly website with engaging copy and content about your company, crisp images, links to your social media channels, a simple and transparent buying, and checkout process, and an intuitive navigation structure. Be sure to include a link where customers can sign up for email newsletters too.

5. Market Your Subscription Box Business

You’re almost ready for takeoff!

Start marketing your subscription box business with blogging, social media marketing, SEO, and paid advertising campaigns while also collecting emails and promoting your company on relevant forums and online communities. By generating enough buzz before launching, you can be better poised for success when you start shipping.

6. Start Taking and Fulfilling Orders

You’re almost there!

Be sure to test your website extensively to ensure it can handle orders without any technical errors. If fulfilling the orders yourself, be sure to do so efficiently and in an organized manner. If you’re outsourcing the fulfillment process, find a partner that’s affordable, cost-effective, and has a reputation for reliability.

Remember, Easyship can help with the fulfillment process for your subscription box business too!

7. Ship the Ordered Boxes to Customers

Congrats - you’ve just made your first shipments!

Launch day can be overwhelming and chaotic, but stay on top of things and field any customer inquiries quickly. If you run into shipping issues, don’t wait to fix them!

8. Keep Growing Your Subscriber Base

So, you’ve launched your subscription box business successfully. Time to kick back and watch the revenue roll in, right?

Nope! Even after a successful launch, never rest on your laurels. Keep marketing and promoting your business relentlessly, collecting emails, and innovating your product. As you ramp up your customer base, try implementing a referral program to offer incentives to get existing customers to sign up their friends and family!

Starting a Subscription Box Business at the Right Date

Starting a Subscription Box Business: Follow the Right Steps

In order to make the most of offering a subscription box service, devote enough time and energy to creating and developing your business, following the above steps one after the other. The feeling of satisfaction that comes with shipping your first set of monthly subscription boxes is enough motivation to make a success of your business.

Consistent promotion on social media platforms can also result in further exposure for your brand, as can other strategies like blogging frequently, sending out email newsletters, and launching a paid advertising campaign. Stick with it and don’t give up!

Ultimately, understand how to start a subscription box company if you’re looking to get into the fast-growing subscription-based business model. However, by following these steps carefully and taking the time to promote your business consistently and frequently, you’ll unbox many new opportunities for your subscription eCommerce company!

Already have a subscription box business or plan on starting one? Sign up for Easyship today to access our worldwide courier network with 250+ shipping solutions and obtain shipping rate discounts of up to 70 percent!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key Points:

  • Research suggests that 3 in 4 eCommerce brands will offer a subscription service by 2023
  • Subscription boxes are product collections that ship regularly with the aim to deliver a unique experience
  • Prior to starting a subscription box business, you should first determine if you’ll be sourcing free products, paid products or both
Get Your Ship Together.

By submitting the form, you agree to receive marketing emails from Easyship.

Save up to 91% on Shipping. Try for free.

Effortlessly compare 550+ courier services with one global account. Instant discounts. Start in minutes.

Shipping Internationally? Unsure What Tariffs or Duties Apply?
Try our FREE Tax & Duty Calculator

Trying to stay up to date on the latest cross-border shipping and import requirements? Get an instant estimate of all applicable taxes and duties for every country across 220+ global destinations or sign up and take advantage of our in-built HS Code lookup tool.

Calculate Tax & Duties Instantly (Free Tool)
Ready to Stop Overpaying for Shipping?
Try our FREE Shipping Rate Calculator

Looking for the cheapest way to ship a package? Get an instant shipping quote and compare rates from 550+ courier services across the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and more. Simply add your package size and delivery location, and you'll find the best deal in seconds.

Calculate Rates Instantly (Free Tool)
Planning Your Campaign?

Get in touch with us now and our shipping consultants can give you a detailed quote and additional info to help with your campaign.

Get in touch
The Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
The Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
Get in touch with our fulfillment experts!

We believe simple pricing is the best pricing. Get a quote with a simplified pricing structure and no hidden fees.

Contact us
Need help fulfilling your crowdfunding campaign?

We provide the necessary tools needed to keep you on budget for shipping and to safely deliver your product to backers around the world.

Learn more
Try our duty & tax calculator!

Need to estimate your shipping duties & taxes? Our calculator can give you an idea of what to expect.

TRY IT NOW
Save up to 91% on Shipping. Try for free.

Compare 550+ courier services with one global account. Start in minutes.

GET STARTED FOR FREE
Get a Free Quote for Your Campaign

Receive a personal cost estimate for your crowdfunding campaign from our trusted global fulfillment partners. Easyship is a certified Indiegogo partner.

GET FREE QUOTE
Looking for great rates from a top courier?

Save up to 74% on UPS shipping rates by shipping with Easyship. You can run a quote and generate your first shipments in literally minutes!

SHIP WITH UPS TODAY
The cheapest way to ship for eCommerce

Get instant access with volume-discounted shipping rates. Save up to 89% off on USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more. Easyship is free for 50 shipments each month.

SIGN UP FREE TO SAVE
Find your perfect fulfillment partner with expert help

Let Easyship connect you to the largest shipping and fulfillment network on Earth. You’ll find trusted partners for all things logistics. Guidance is free from our global shipping experts.

ASK AN EXPERT
Don’t miss our money and time-saving features!

Explore the powerful features that 100K+ merchants use to ship smarter, not harder. Shipping automation, live rates at checkout, live duty and tax – all free to try with Easyship.

EXPLORE ALL FEATURES
Start saving on shipping in seconds

Create your free Easyship account to streamline shipping and save with discounted rates. No hidden fees. No minimums. Just savings.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Create Your Shipping Policy Free

Use our guided walk-through to build the perfect shipping policy for your eCommerce business.

CREATE YOUR POLICY FREE
Looking to intergrate your Shopify store?

With 550+ pre-negotiated shipping services available with discounts of up to 91%, you can save time & money today when you integrate your Shopify store with Easyship

REGISTER FOR FREE
Use Easyship Free Every Month

Easyship is free to use for 50 shipments every month. You’ll save big on our discounted shipping rates up to 91% off, and save time with smart automation. Signup is fast and free.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Don’t miss the key steps to fulfillment success

Follow the easy path to fulfillment success. Easyship’s free fulfillment checklist provides a proven step-by-step so you can ship at scale without the guesswork.

VIEW THE CHECKLIST
Ship for less with any courier, guaranteed

Save up to 89% off all shipping rates. Easyship offers the guaranteed cheapest volume-discounted rates on the market from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ global couriers.

SIGN UP TO SAVE
Don’t miss all our money and time-saving features!

Explore the innovative features that 100K+ merchants use to ship smarter, not harder. Shipping automation, live rates at checkout, live duty and tax – all free to try with Easyship.

EXPLORE FEATURES
Want the cheapest rates?

Register for an Easyship account today and you will gain access to the cheapest rates, instantly.

REGISTER FOR FREE
Watch out for international duty and tax!

What exactly does it cost to ship cross-border? Use the free duty and tax calculator from Easyship to view accurate import costs for any shipment to anywhere.

USE FREE
Protect Your Crowdfunding Budget from Cost Creep

Prices are rising, deliveries are slowing. Get up to speed on the state of crowdfunding shipping with expert Easyship analysis and keep your campaign on budget.

LEARN MORE
Discover the Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 550+ courier services at a glance.

GET A FREE QUOTE
Discover Your Cheapest Way to Ship

Find the guaranteed cheapest shipping in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discounted rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ global couriers at a glance.

COMPARE RATES FREE
Compare the best rates in seconds

Get an instant estimate of the cheapest shipping rates with our free calculator tool.

GET FREE RATE QUOTES
Save money on every shipment

Save up to 91% off shipping with Easyship’s discount courier rates. Create your free account to save instantly on 550+ courier services, including USPS.

CREATE YOUR FREE ACCOUNT
Ready to ship internationally?

Get help from our global shipping experts on warehousing, global shipping and to connect with our network of trusted 3PLs.

GET FREE SHIPPING TIPS
How’s Your Covid Shipping Policy?

Use our free shipping policy generator to formulate your safest, most customer-friendly shipping policy in seconds.

GET YOUR SHIPPING POLICY
Try Pre-generated Return Labels For Free

Register for an Easyship account today and get 30-days access to a Premier plan with access to Pre-generated Return Labels.

Generate Return Labels Today
Discover the Cheapest Shipping from USPS, UPS® & FedEx

Find the guaranteed cheapest rates for any courier in seconds with Easyship’s free shipping rate calculator. Compare discount rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx, and 250+ couriers at a glance.

GET RATE QUOTES FREE
Get Up to Speed On Covid Shipping

Explore our Covid shipping resources to make sure your shipment arrives on time and in good condition.

LEARN MORE
Free Shipping for the Holidays 101

Learn how the leading brands offer free shipping, calculate costs, and ship on a budget for the holidays in our free shipping guidebook.

LEARN MORE
Your Perfect Shipping Policy, Ready in Minutes

Use Easyship’s free shipping policy generator to formulate your perfect holiday shipping policy for returns, tracking, and more. Just follow the prompts and you’re done!

GET YOUR SHIPPING POLICY
Scale Your Growth Internationally With Pro Tips

Learn how to ship internationally without missing a step. Our case studies show you proven tactics for shipping worldwide from Easyship users who did it right.

READ CASE STUDIES
No items found.
Share on:

Related Articles

No items found.