So, is there anything you can’t turn into a subscription box business? The short answer is this: not much. As long as you have a market for your product — or products — you stand a good chance of success.
Over the past year, subscription business models have grown far beyond razor blades, coffee, and custom-picked articles of clothing. In the current marketplace, consumers can sign up for artisan soaps, hot sauces, and even DIY projects, which get conveniently delivered on a monthly or weekly basis.
Perhaps you already know what type of subscription business you want to create; maybe you need inspiration. Either way, here are ten exciting new subscription box models to consider as you craft your business plan.
#1: International and Cultural Offerings
Travel is expensive; a taste of the exotic, however, needn’t be. Flaming Licks, for example, offers its customers a selection of capsaicin-rich hot sauces and other related items made by small UK manufacturers. Kitchen Table Passport, on the other hand, sends its subscribers a miniature culture fest in a cardboard box each month. Herbs, spices and recipes from the locale in question invite consumers to get involved at home. Consider creating your own culture-centric subscription box based on unique kitchen tools, heartier ingredients or small dinnerware items.
#2: Pampered Pets
Pets — especially furry pets — love to be mollycoddled, pampered and generally spoiled. You can cash in on the never-ending love affair between man and miniature beast with a carefully calculated subscription box business. PupJoy, for example, delivers a delectable selection of natural dog treats and toys to its subscribers on a monthly basis. The potential for a pet-based subscription service is practically limitless, so break out your gluten-free paleo cat treats and get box wild. Quite a few subscription services for furrier animals exist, but other species remain underserved. You could rustle up a subscription box for marine aquarium enthusiasts, bird lovers or reptile specialists, for example.
#3: Art and Craft Supplies
Creativity is an intense process and often involves a significant amount of alone time. SketchBox breaks through that wall of isolation and solitude every month with a carefully crafted box of goodies designed to inspire frazzled artists. PostStitch, on the other hand, regularly distributes fabulous (and fully provisioned) knitting projects to its followers. Keep your subscribers’ artistic visions sharp with subscription boxes full of innovative tools for oil painting, miniature woodworking projects, or doll clothing patterns.
#4: Survival Gear
Prepping as a lifestyle is not new, but catering to survivalists’ needs every month certainly is. Thankfully for the as-yet unprepared, companies like BattlBox and Nomadik send out useful survival products in neat little monthly packages. Why not set up your own subscription survival box service and help stuff those bug-out bags to the brim? Help your subscribers stock up on essential foods, send out regular survival tips, or teach your eager followers how to identify and cook foods in the wild.
#5: Faith-based, Lifestyle and Spiritual Swag
It’s a crazy world out there: sometimes, a regular injection of inspirational zen is just the right medicine. Mindfulness Box wraps up and posts an eclectic selection of holistic, homeopathic and handcrafted goodness to its subscribers on a regular basis. Meanwhile, Faithbox caters to the constructive Christian lifestyle with a meaningful collection of carefully hand-picked items designed to positively influence its customers. You might base your subscription box on a specific world religion, like Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism or Shinto. Paganism, Gaia and less organized spiritual paths also make for interesting subscription boxes.
#6: Unusual Artisan Foods
The quest for artisanal cuisine never gets old — and regular monthly deliveries of salivating food-centric fare keep the journey eternally fresh. The Keto Box offers its customer base a fabulous array of low-carb, keto diet-friendly snacks every month. Mantry caters to the sophisticated modern man-foodie by stoking his curiosity and then leading him toward new and palatable culinary experiences. You could ship delicious artisan cheeses to your subscribers, or supply them with sushi-making ingredients or really unconventional pickles.
#7: Subscriptions for a Cause
Some innovative subscription services integrate charity into their business models. International Blessings, for instance, empowers talented artisans from developing countries by shipping beautiful handmade jewelry pieces to its customers each month. SperoBox supports both international and domestic workers and pours a generous 20 percent of its profits back into job creation for disenfranchised women in the US. The wonderful thing about cause-based subscriptions is that they work regardless of what’s in your box. You can choose to donate a proportion of your profits to an existing charity or you can create a brand new charitable venture of your own.
#8: Gardening Made Simple
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own food, especially in an urban setting. Urban Organic Gardener regularly empowers its subscribers with non-GMO seed packets, tips and other exciting bonus items. If you happen to have green thumbs and want to spread a little gardening joy, you might consider basing your business plan on fruits, vegetables and other portable plants. Whip up and send out organic fertilizer samples with recipes attached, or provide your subscribers with everything they need to create a herb garden from scratch.
#9: Tidbits for Tots
Babies and children are some of the cutest and most easily amused members of society — and their needs continue to develop every month. 21 Bundles knows how to pamper pregnant mamas and little babes even before birth; members get regular packages tailored to their pregnancy stages or young babies’ ages. Kiwi Crate caters to children from four to eight years old, delivering creative and hands-on box-sized adventures to young humans and their delighted parents every month. Both subscription services evolve along with the children they serve, so the products and ideas enclosed in each package stay relevant and fun over time. Your subscription service could focus on kids’ hair accessories or custom art supplies, or you could send out the ingredients for kid-friendly recipes.
#10: Local Wares
Give your favorite local businesses a boost by sending their best products to eager subscribers all over the planet. Hazel Lane picks a different US destination each month and subsequently sends its customers a fascinating package full of eco-chic accessories, hipster items and delicious foods. Meanwhile, Go Local Box ships a selection of intriguing products made in Louisville, KY to its subscribers on a monthly basis. The great thing about this type of subscription box is the potential it gives smaller manufacturers, who suddenly get to show off their products to a much wider consumer base. Your box might contain small pottery items, locally ground flours, or handcrafted chocolates.
Thinking outside the proverbial box could serve you well as you prepare to launch your own subscription business. The possibilities are endless and many markets remain almost or entirely untapped. It’s up to you as a savvy entrepreneur to worm your way into those lucrative sectors before someone else does. With that in mind, why not break out a pen and paper and do a little brainstorming this evening? You never know what you might come up with…
