In recent years, the beauty eCommerce industry has seen exponential growth. The main reason for it is the consumers’ demand for convenience that comes with online shopping.
Customers can order cosmetics and beauty supplies from the comfort of their homes or while on-the-go via apps and mobile phones. This trend has resulted in the preference for subscription box services within the beauty industry.
However, while the interest and demand has increased, not all beauty subscription brands have achieved success in the competitive subscription market.
To learn how to efficiently manage your beauty subscription model, we look at the best beauty subscription example — BirchBox. We will break down the strategy employed by BirchBox, a leading beauty subscription business.
What is BirchBox Subscription box?
BirchBox is a monthly subscription model for beauty and cosmetics. This monthly subscription offers top beauty and skincare sample products from the best brands, in a box. Subscribers have the option to customize their box from a wide range of makeup and skincare sample products. The subscription box is designed to enable customers to try new products, and conveniently purchase products they like. Additionally, subscribers get to enjoy perks and benefits of subscribing.
BirchBox is a New York-based online monthly subscription box service. Subscribers receive five to six selected products ranging from makeup, skincare, perfume, organic products and cosmetics.
What’s in a BirchBox Subscription Box?
- 5 to 6 selected sample products
- Skincare, makeup, and hair and body products
- A variety of customizations every month
- A curated and customized box
Checkout the list of BirchBox products here.
Takeaways from the BirchBox subscription box model
There’s a lot of competition in the beauty subscription industry. Many brands offer competitive subscriptions. But BirchBox offers a brilliant mix of the right elements keeping customers at the heart of their subscription model. In this section, we break down BirchBox elements and explore why these features work so well.
1. The brand has a dedicated page for subscriptions
Think about what customers do on your eCommerce website—how they navigate, where they go to search for tabs, whether they struggle to find certain elements or information.
The idea is to make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for, including subscription related information.
That’s where having a dedicated page for subscriptions becomes essential. And BirchBox prioritizes this aspect.
The BirchBox homepage has many CTAs leading to the subscription page. The subscription page provides all of the following information:
- A brief summary of how the subscription box service works
- What the subscription offers to subscribers
- A list of products and categories
- Frequently asked questions
A dedicated page not only provides all the information in one place, it also shows customers how much you value your subscription box service— only when you take your subscription seriously will customers understand its true value.
2. BirchBox clearly explains how the subscription works
Transparent communication regarding subscription terms, pricing, and perks brings confidence in customers. When customers feel confident about your offering, they stay loyal to your brand for longer.
eCommerce subscription brands can establish a strong connection with customers by offering a thorough understanding of the subscription model.
There are a few factors to consider:
- Address customer concerns
- Avoid doubts by sharing all information
- Be transparent and avoid ambiguity
For instance, here’s how BirchBox explains how the subscription works:
- BirchBox explains the concept of their subscription box in an easy-to-understand—simple, clear, short and crisp text
- In addition, the brand explains how it works at multiple points on their website on many pages. This ensures no matter which page shoppers are on, they do not miss the any key information
- BirchBox also shows visually how the subscription works by displaying three steps
All this important information is easily accessible throughout their website. Moreover, they have a FAQs section to answer additional queries.
When customers see the value that the subscription offers and how simple it is to use, they become more inclined to subscribe. This helps improve sing-ups, retention rate, and CLTV.
3. The brand keeps it simple with 3 subscription plan options
Too many options can cause customers choice paralysis—explained by Hick’s Law as a situation wherein the more choices you present to customers, the further they delay their decision.
The BirchBox subscription box is available in three types of plans:
1. Monthly membership
2. Three month membership
3. 12-month membership
BirchBox displays the three membership plans side-by-side on the subscription page. Under each plan, customers can see the price of the plan and what it offers.
Moreover, customers can have a comparative look at the three plans, which makes their purchase decision easier.
Not just that, BirchBox also highlights the most-chosen plan by customers. The words “Top Pick” highlighted in bright green instantly attract attention. This improves sales opportunities for that plan.
Even though the plan is the cheapest amongst the three, it is also the most long-term plan. Long-term customer retention brings more revenue and profits to brands compared to short-term subscription plans.
The most important thing to remember is to choose a Shopify subscription app that allows you to offer multiple types of subscription plans.
4. Personalized and customized subscription experience
BirchBox subscription box incorporates personalization and customization in its subscription box experience. Once customers subscribe, BirchBox asks them a few questions to understand their preferences. This is so that they can recommend and curate the box based on their individual taste.
In a similar way, BirchBox allows high-level customization. Subscribers have an option to choose products or categories that they’d like to include in their box. Conversely, BirchBox builds a box based on their understanding of customers’ preference.
This high-level personalization and customization helps the brand build stronger relationships with customers. Additionally, it ensures the subscription is aligned with customers’ specific likes and needs. That way, customers get the most value for their subscriptions.
Another benefit of customization and personalization is that it gives a certain sense of control to customers. Moreover, this leads to more customer satisfaction and makes the shopping experience hasslefree.
Explore the best Shopify subscription app with personalization and customization features.
5. They have a clear FAQs section
BirchBox answers frequently asked questions of customers via the FAQs section. Customers may have many questions and doubts. One of the best ways to answer these questions is through FAQs.
Customers can know the following information from the BirchBox FAQs:
- What they will receive in their subscription box
- How they can personalize their box
- The date of shipping/delivery of their box
- What is included in their subscription
The primary purpose of the FAQs section is to answer the most basic and common questions that customers may have. This helps brands like BirchBox reduce load on their customer support resources and hence reduce costs. In addition, it ensures customers do not have to reach out to the brand for simple things.
6. The subscription box makes it easy for customers to try new products
The BirchBox subscription box is designed to help customers try out samples of cosmetics before they purchase the full-size product.
For example, say there’s a new shampoo launched in the market. Now, customers might hesitate to purchase a full-size shampoo bottle, because, when it comes to cosmetics and self-care products, most people prefer to stick to the same products and brands. They avoid changing products frequently.
At the same time, customers are also curious about new products and want to try them. This is where the BirchBox subscription model comes in.
7. BirchBox highlights the most lucrative plan for customers
Another reason that BirchBox is the best beauty subscription example is because the brand knows and applies marketing tactics well.
For instance, BirchBox offers three different plans. The plans are displayed next to each other with details. And the brand doesn’t shy away from highlighting the most lucrative plan.
The plan with the longest period — 12 months — is the most lucrative for customers and for the brand. Customers pay a smaller subscription amount and BirchBox ensures long-term subscriptions.
Long term subscriptions are more profitable for the brand. A simple element such as highlighting one plan prominently, makes a big difference to the brand’s retention rate.
8. Different curated boxes to make things interesting
Offering subscription boxes that have an element of diversity is highly advantageous for services like BirchBox. Here’s how they approach it effectively:
- BirchBox keeps freshness and excitement alive by offering curated boxes—every month is a box with new products. This keeps the surprise element alive and eliminates monotony for customers.
- Subscribers get to explore and sample new products they might not have discovered otherwise. It also allows BirchBox to collaborate with various brands or suppliers, expanding their network and providing subscribers with a broad array of items.
- As BirchBox subscription box takes a targeted approach that meets customers’ likes and preferences, the relevance and value of the box increases, leading to more satisfied customers.
- This approach adds a timely and relevant dimension to the subscription service, building a stronger connection with customers. Seasonal themes can incorporate products and experiences suitable for specific times of the year, further enhancing the value and enjoyment for subscribers.
9. BirchBox subscription box offers rewards/loyalty points
The excitement of receiving new product samples is not all that BirchBox offers. The brand also combines a rewards program with their subscription model. This makes BirchBox one of the best subscription box examples.
The brand has set up different ways to earn and redeem loyalty points. This helps in multiple ways:
- Improves customer engagement
- Keeps things exciting
- Enhances customer loyalty and retention
- Creates more marketing opportunities for the brand
10. BirchBox allows flexibility
77% of customers want to customize their eCommerce experience. This shows how important of a factor flexibility is.
For subscribers, flexibility means freedom. The freedom to choose products and to build a new box every month. The freedom to pause their subscription or to easily cancel whenever they want. The freedom to change their preferences for product type, category, etc.
BirchBox subscription box ensures flexibility in multiple ways:
- Customers can choose from three different plans
- Change, upgrade, or downgrade plans
- Choose products and categories of their choice
- Curate a box with new products every month
Conclusion: Ready to put these learnings into practice on your subscription business?
To set up and manage a successful beauty subscription or subscriptions in any niche, you will require various elements to align with your goals.
That’s where Appstle Subscriptions App comes in — designed for Shopify and Shopify Plus brands and stores, it is rated the best Shopify subscription app.
Explore Appstle Subscriptions App’s capabilities through its user-friendly admin dashboard, offering management tools, automation, subscription widgets, and analytics focused on business growth.
Connect with our experts or explore Appstle Subscriptions App to delve deeper into the world of subscriptions.
