Food subscription boxes have almost become a necessity for many people, especially those in urban cities.
For customers, food and grocery subscription boxes are convenient, cost-efficient, and hassle-free. For brands, the subscription model provides stability, predictable revenue, and long-term customers.
But even though there are so many food subscription options in the market, there are hardly a handful that succeed.
One brand that has got its food subscription box model on point is HelloFresh. This blog looks at why HelloFresh meal kit subscriptions are loved by customers.
Continue to read HelloFresh food subscription box breakdown.
What is the HelloFresh meal kit?
HelloFresh is one of the most popular and liked food subscription boxes in the US. HelloFresh sends fresh, nutritious, and healthy meal kits regularly for customers to cook their desired recipes.
The USP of this grocery subscription box is a wide variety of options for fresh and nutritious ingredients to make cooking easy. The brand offers meal kits of various types, ranging from a combination of meat and veggie to only veggie, and pescatarian.
Most customer reviews about HelloFresh particularly mention the wide variety and convenience factor.
While there are many meal kit subscription brands out there, few have been able to garner the engagement and loyalty that HelloFresh has. Let’s look at what makes this subscription box business so special.
HelloFresh food subscription box strategy breakdown
Why is it that some subscription brands take a while to succeed, some never make it, and some are able to turn profitable soon enough? A breakdown of HelloFresh subscription model reveals many learnings and takeaways that you could apply to your Shopify subscription business. Here are the key features that help HelloFresh succeed:
1. Highlights benefits of the subscription box
A lot of food subscription boxes are well designed and offer many benefits. However, the brands fail to make those benefits known to customers.
But HelloFresh has smartly mentioned the key benefits of the box, the first thing on the home page.
The brand has taken a customer-first approach by telling customers how they can benefit from the subscription box.
From the convenience of making homemade meals to the cost benefits to the need for nutritious meals and also the ease of pausing and cancelling the subscriptions anytime – all the benefits are mentioned clearly.
Alongside, there are appealing images that complement the text. HelloFresh has put together the perfect recipe to draw potential customers in right at the beginning of the home page.
2. Mention of reasons to choose HelloFresh
To further emphasize on the benefits, HelloFresh has created a separate section on the homepage to tell customers why they must choose the HelloFresh food subscription box.
Here are the benefits mentioned:
- Nutritious meal kits: the brand ensures their meal boxes include quality protein, an essential component for balanced diets.
- Freedom and flexibility: customers get the freedom and flexibility to skip, pause, or cancel their subscription whenever they want, with ease.
- Variety of options: customers can choose from a huge recipe selection.
- Fresh and affordable: HelloFresh promotes its meal kits as being cheaper than takeouts, apart from being fresh and nutritious.
3. HelloFresh offers seasonal and special food subscription boxes
A survey revealed that 74% of customers say quality is the most important factor in keeping them loyal to a brand.
HelloFresh has made their product offers exciting by including a range of plans to choose from. For instance, customers can choose from sections called, ‘Most popular plans’, ‘Veggie and plant-based meals’, ‘Kid-tested recipes’, ‘Fit & wholesome’ ‘Quick & easy’, and ‘Pescatarian’.
Offering multiple options not only makes it exciting and appealing, but it also gives options for customers to choose meal kits based on their dietary preferences.
4. Information about what’s inside each box
HelloFresh enhances customer experience further by offering a curated selection of meal kits. In the box are many other components that make the subscription experience even more exciting. Let’s look at everything else there is in HelloFresh curated subscription boxes.
- Fresh vegetable and fruits for all kinds of dishes
- Recipe cards with step-by-step guides for nutritional cooking
- Protein-packed ingredients
- Customization option for add-ons, such as snacks, savory sides, additional proteins
- Eco-friendly packaging that can be recycled and reused
Also read: Ecommerce subscription trends and predictions 2025
5. Collects and displays social proof
99.9% of consumers look for reviews and proof before they make purchases. It builds brand trust, increases sales, and has many other benefits. And HelloFresh doesn’t shy away from sharing social proof on their homepage.
The homepage displays user generated content (UGC) shared by customers on Instagram. The brand encourages more customers to post their reviews and experiences of HelloFresh food subscription boxes and tag the brand.
6. A dedicated FAQs section
Not only new, potential customers, but even existing subscribers tend to have a lot of queries. And especially when the product is related to food and consumables. And one of the best ways to answer basic and routine questions is to have an FAQs section.
If customers have to reach out to your customer support team or write to you for every question, it can get annoying for them and daunting for you to answer each and every query.
That’s why an FAQs section helps. HelloFresh answers all kinds of questions in the FAQ section. In this section, you will find answers to questions related to redeeming special offers, how the food subscription box model works, whether the meal kits provide nutritional information, how customers can recycle the packaging, and whether customers can skip a delivery, among other questions.
7. Allows food subscription box plan personalization
Every individual has their own preference for food. And hence, a one-size-fits-all meal kit subscription won’t work. This is where personalization helps to enhance customer experience and satisfaction.
Personalization is all the more critical in subscriptions as customers associate with brands for a long term, and customization can keep things relevant for customers.
HelloFresh understands that, and hence, the brand allows individual customers to personalize their plan.
Subscribers can choose from meat & veggies, only veggie, family friendly, fit & wholesome, under 20 mins, and pescatarian meal options and create their own personalized plan. Additionally, subscribers have access to all the recipes every week.
8. HelloFresh subscription is simple yet comprehensive
When brands provide too many options and a lot of variety, customers often get into decision fatigue. Even though HelloFresh offers many different plans and kits to choose from, the brand has figured a way to still make the selection experience simple and straightforward.
Providing a less complex subscription system not only makes it easy for subscribers but also has many other benefits. For instance, happy customers tend to spread the word for your brand, and when making purchases is easy, customers tend to spend more on your website.
9. Customers can try new food items via the subscription
One of the best advantages of subscriptions is that brands can introduce new products to subscribers, and subscribers get to try new products every now and then.
With HelloFresh food subscription box, subscribers can not only try various meal kit options based on themes, such as veggie, pescatarian, etc., but also try out new products. For instance, the brand has more than 100 weekly menus and products every week.
Also read: How to launch a food subscription box model
10. Discounts on every order
One of the reasons customers choose subscriptions is the discounts. Retailers offer consistent discounts when customers sign up for subscriptions. For customers, this can add up to a huge amount of savings. For brands, recurring revenue ensures sustainability and profitability.
HelloFresh offers a discount on every subscription order. Groceries are an ongoing requirement with a short shelf life. Not only do grocery subscription boxes make customers’ lives easier, they also offer price benefits and savings to customers.
On the HelloFresh subscription site, subscribers do not have to apply a special discount code. Rather, the discount is automatically applied during checkout. This hasslefree process enhances customer experience.
Key takeaways from HelloFresh food subscription box breakdown
- Highlight benefits of your subscription box – HelloFresh does it over and over again, makes it customer-focused
- Emphasize on your USP and the value you add to customers lives
- Bases on your products and industry, offer many options for customers to choose from
- Clearly explain the contents of each subscription box
- Have an FAQs page and efficient customer support for subscribers
- Personalize the subscription boxes for better customer satisfaction
- Keep it simple, easy, and uncluttered
- Introduce subscribers to new products via subscription boxes
- Offer discounts and price benefits to make your subscription plans enticing
Get started with your Shopify subscription model
There’s a lot that goes into the setting up of a good subscription model. Once set up, there are a lot of factors to attend to for the day to day functioning of subscriptions.
Any business that is growing and scaling requires a smart subscription tool to navigate the day to day tasks and challenges.
In the age of AI, ML, and automation, it is a must to incorporate a smart and intuitive Shopify subscription app, such as Appstle Subscription App.
The subscription app is designed for Shopify and Shopify Plus stores. It offers various features, including, customization of subscription plans, personalization for subscribers, flexible billing options, automated billing, automated notifications, bundling options, powerful APIs, easy integrations with third-party apps, and more.
Install Appstle Subscription App on your Shopify store today!
