Global Subscription Box Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032

Global Subscription Box Market Outlook

The global subscription box market size reached a value of USD 31.85 billion in 2023. During the forecast period of 2024-2032, the market is likely to grow at a CAGR of 18.4%, to reach a value of USD 145.82 billion by 2032.

News and Developments in the Market

In August 2021, The Hut Group (THG) acquired British online beauty retailer ‘Cult Beauty’ for GBP 275 million. The Hut Group is the parent organisation of The Hut.com Ltd. The acquisition brings the active customers of Cult Beauty and its various beauty and self-care products.

This will increase the inventory of THG Beauty and enhance its digital marketing services and add to the subscription box market development.

In May 2021, The Hut Group completed the transaction of GBP 43 million to acquire Brighter Food Limited. THG announced the acquisition in May 2021.

With the acquisition, THG planned to invest in building industry-class food production facilities and innovation to propel its THG Nutrition portfolio. The Brighter Food team will raise the innovation and production of food bars. This development will, in turn, add to the subscription box market growth.

In December 2020, Barkbox, Inc., a leading global company for dogs, announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement with Northern Star Acquisition Corp. The transaction was done with Bark at a total value of approximately USD 1.6 billion. The merger will result in the expansion of their monthly subscription service.

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Targeting Small Groups of Audience, Social Media Marketing, Implementing Different Types of Subscription, and Lucrative Offers to be the Key Market Trends

The subscription box service is a type of package service for directly delivering several products to the customer at set intervals. This is a form of marketing strategy mainly followed by e-commerce companies. This business model has flourished in the recent years due to the convenience of getting it delivered to your address and the availability of various product types.

• Targeting niche groups of products for a specific audience has been a key market driver. Companies provide products that are usually not easy to avail in the market.
  
  This method enables the key players to target and attract customers interested in specific products. This allows the subscription box market expansion for existing and new organisations.

• With the growing influence of social media in society, companies are utilising media platforms to promote their services and products. Most subscribers come from the younger age groups. They are the most active social media group, making it easier for companies to advertise their services.

• Companies have started incorporating different subscription box models instead of following one type. For example, Amazon has provided premium membership subscriptions.
  
  Through this subscription, they earn customer loyalty and offer discounts and free delivery on their other services. Thus, allowing the players to add further growth to the subscription box market size.

• The subscription box business model significantly depends on customer loyalty. Looking at this, companies have started offering occasional discounts and trials for new customers. This method allows them to attract new audience while satisfying existing customers.

Growing Prevalence of Online Shopping, Curated Boxes, Overseas Sales Offer Significant Growth Opportunities to the Market

Growing Prevalence of Online Shopping Around the World

People are increasingly inclining towards online shopping due to the convenience it offers. It allows them to shop safely from home and save time. The pandemic has further triggered the trend of online shopping as people avoided going out of their homes or isolation.

Curated Boxes Garnering Higher Demand among Consumers

The curated box model has been garnering significant attention from the consumers as they can customise according to their preferences. It is easy to build customer loyalty with this method as you target a specific audience.

Opportunities to Make Overseas Sales

The subscription box models enable the distributors to attract customers interested in foreign products. The United States and France are some of the leading regions opting for overseas subscriptions.

Crowded Market, Customer Loyalty, and Expensive Luxury Subscription to be the Major Challenges for the Market Growth

Crowded Market with Established and New Key Players

The market has become overpopulated by companies due to the lucrative income and market growth rate the subscription box model provides.

Discontinuation of Subscription

Sometimes the customers do not continue the service after consuming the discounts or offers provided by the key player. This lowers the customer retention of the company, leading to imbalanced income.

Expensive Luxury Subscriptions

Luxury subscription boxes can range from USD 80-100 per month. Subscriptions like this are quite expensive and thus people often cancel their subscription. This can be a setback for the market growth.

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Subscription Box Market Analysis

Based on type, the market is segmented into access subscription, replenishment subscription, and curation subscription. On the basis of application, the market is categorised into health and fitness, apparel, food and beverages, personal care and cosmetics, entertainment and books, and recipe box, among others.

The regional markets can be divided into North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The extensive EMR report provides a detailed assessment of the market based on Porter's five forces model and a SWOT analysis.

The subscription box market report comprehensively analyses key players in the market, covering their competitive landscape and the latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, investments and expansion plans.

• Amazon.com, Inc.

• Barkbox

• Blue Apron Holdings Inc.

• Unilever plc (Dollar Shave Club Inc.)

• The Hut.com Ltd.

• TechStyle Fashion Group

• Loot Crate

• Grocery Delivery E-Services USA, INC. (Hello Fresh)

• FabFitFun, Inc.

• Stitch Fix, Inc.

• Others

Replenishment Subscription, Curation Subscription, and Access Subscription Among the Major Types

Based on type, the market segments can be divided into replenishment subscription, curation subscription, and access subscription.

The replenishment subscription model is to resupply daily commodities, personal care, and daily use products. This service makes the product deliveries on a recurring basis. The most subscribed box services are for pet foods and cleaning products. It is easy to gain customers, but the impeding factor of this method is there is not much room for innovation.

The curation subscription model works much more based on customer preferences. This model enables the customers to receive new products on a recurring basis. The curated segment leads the market as this model helps companies target specific audiences.

With the changing customer interests, curated service companies can target a small group of products and provide them to interested customers. This segment is expected to experience significant growth during the forecast period and act as a subscription box market driver.

The access subscription type, instead of physical products, provides access to digital products or services. This segment includes services such as online video streaming, song streaming, and free deliveries for products. This segment is expected to show rapid growth due to developing technology and increasing internet access.

Subscription Box Finds Applications in Health and Fitness, Food and Beverages, Apparel, Education, Personal Care and Cosmetics, and Books

Based on application, the segments can be divided into health and fitness, food and beverages, apparel, education, personal care and cosmetics, and books, among others. The subscriptions for health and fitness box is used by fitness enthusiasts and healthy food and supplement distributors.

Applying the subscription model allows the organisation to attain positive income. The subscription service also enables the company to meet customers’ needs.

The food and beverages segment has experienced significant growth in recent years due to the convenience provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. This service enabled people to order food anytime and securely. This will also reduce the presence of automobiles on the road leading to less pollution.

The apparel segment is one of the less known applications of subscription but has been gaining attention in North America. Companies like Barkbox and Birchbox, among others, are implementing curated subscription services to deliver new themed products to their customers. This has significantly increased the companies' income, which in turn helps propel the subscription box market development.

Market Share by Region

Subscription box industry has been thriving in North America and Europe due to the increased spending power of people. North America is the leading region for this business model, owing to the established players in the region. The region accounts for the largest share of the global subscription box market.

This market experienced significant growth in the region due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Many people subscribed to new products during the lockdown as they were securely delivered to their homes. The curated service received significant growth as it is the most adaptable compared to the other types.

The Asia Pacific region has the most considerable scope for growth in the coming years. The pandemic made people inclined toward online services. This has led to many new companies launching subscription services, seeing the growing opportunities. China and India are the most prominent regions in the Asia Pacific region for the product. The subscription box market in India is likely to witness significant demand in the coming years.

This can be attributed to the enormous population and wide internet access area. The most general applications are for food and beverages, health and fitness, and apparel gaining significant development.

The rising spending power with the industrialisation in many countries of the Asia Pacific region will continue to create growth opportunities. However, the market development in India and lesser advanced areas may face some setbacks. It is owing to the lack of technological penetration and inclination toward cost-effectiveness.

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Competitive Landscape for Subscription Box Market

Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, artificial technology, and online streaming. It is one of the market leaders in the e-commerce industry.

Their products include groceries, apparel, electronics, health and fitness, among others. Their online streaming subscription service, called Prime, is one of the most popular access subscriptions in the world.

Dollar Shave Club Inc. is an American company delivering razors, shaving essentials, and personal care products. It provides a subscription box service to deliver the products monthly. The customers can choose the number of products to be given monthly with the flexibility to cancel anytime.

They were acquired by Unilever, a massive consumer goods company working in around 190 countries. Working with these industry experts propels the market value of DSC significantly.

The Hut.com Ltd. is a British e-commerce platform under the parent organisation, The Hut Group (THS). The THS provides beauty, fashion, toys, and health and fitness products, among others. They deliver monthly subscription boxes for various products monthly.

TechStyle Fashion Group is an online retailer for various fashion products under their parent organisation Intelligent Beauty, Inc. They provide products from five brands, including JustFab, FabKids, ShoeDazzle, Savage and Fenty, and Fabletics. The products include shoes, jewellery, and handbags, among others. The customers can shop according to their preferences.

BarkBox is an online subscription box company delivering dog products and services monthly to its customers. Their products include dog treats, toys, and dog chews with new themes.

Key Highlights of the Report