In this post we will be looking at some subscription box business ideas to help inspire you. Subscription boxes utilize the subscription model and can be a great online business to start. With one of the greatest benefits of the subscription model being the generation of regularly recurring revenue.
Subscription boxes are a good option to run as a standalone business. However anybody that has an existing retail business could really benefit from adding a subscription box service to their customers. There are several advantages to using a subscription based business model.
Take a look below at 22 great subscription box business ideas. We’ll also highlight examples of some of the top subscription box companies operating in that niche.
We have a full guide you can read here to starting a subscription box business.
Looking to buy subscription boxes? Browse the Cratejoy Marketplace to find high quality gifts and boxes from some of the top subscription box companies.
22 Subscription Box Business Ideas
There are many niches to choose from. The list below provides inspiration and examples across a wide range of different subscription business ideas.
Vitamins
First up on our list of subscription box business ideas is a vitamin supplement business. Vitamin subscription services are a good way to create regular recurring orders.
A vitamin supplement will usually be consumed on a daily basis. So a subscription gives the customer the convenience and ensures they never run out. With vitamins, the subscriber is likely to place repeat orders for the exact same item every time.
Differentiate your brand by offering speciality vitamins like this vegan kids vitamin gummy subscription.
Tea
You could offer a selection of different types of loose leaf teas from around the world. Provide background information on the tea, what region it is from etc. There are lots of other items that can be included such as branded mugs or snacks. A good example is this Tea Runners subscription.
CBD Products
CBD is becoming one of the increasingly popular subscription box business ideas due to it’s medicinal qualities. It can be found in a whole range of items from foodstuffs to beard oil, bath products and much more. There are lots of new types of CBD products coming onto the market giving plenty of variation of items for a CBD subscription box.
Coffee
Coffee is something often drunk on a regular basis. So it lends itself well to a subscription business where customers will need to order regularly. You can offer subscribers different types of coffee from around the world, providing the backstory to each one. Additional products can be included such as snacks, syrups and coffee mugs. Have a look at these coffee subscription examples.
Pets
When it comes to pets, there are lots of options from pet food to treats or toys and accessories. Pet care is a very popular niche with lots of competition. Although most popular subscriptions tend to focus more around dogs and cats.
You can differentiate by targeting an alternative type of pet that doesn’t have as much competition – birds, rodents, fish etc. The Hamster Mail box is a good example of catering to a different type of pet.
Jewelry
Jewelry is a very popular item for subscription boxes. Items can be sourced from suppliers or even crafted yourself. Hand crafted items are a particularly good way of standing out and creating something that is truly unique.
Natural Cleaning Products
Cleaning products are another product that is a customer staple and which people need a regular ready supply. Now more than ever with Covid around, people are paying more attention to their cleaning and hygiene habits.
Consumers are also becoming increasingly conscious of the environment. Many current mainstream cleaning products contain chemicals harmful to the environment and humans. This provides lots of opportunities to supply more natural alternative cleaning products. Being such an essential product, this type of service should receive continuous orders. See the Eco-Friendly cleaning box.
Food Meal Kits
People that lead busy lives don’t always have the time to shop for and prepare ingredients to make new, fresh and exciting meals. A meal kit service like HelloFresh offers the customer new and interesting dishes coupled with convenience. All the ingredients are supplied along with the recipe, allowing meals to be created with minimum effort.
Kids Activity Boxes
Can you think of activities that can be aimed at kids? See if you can strike a balance between offering something both fun and educational. Parents are always on the lookout for something that can keep their kids occupied. Arts and crafts and science related themes go well for kids activities. Subscription box business ideas aimed at kids could be in demand.
Snack Box
When it comes to subscription box business ideas, one of the most popular has to be the snack box. There’s lots of subscription box companies operating within the snack box niche so it’s a very competitive space.
But there’s also lots of interesting sub-niches to explore. For instance snack boxes could be centered around a niche such as candy, healthy snacks, vegan snacks etc. These can be narrowed down further such as candy from a specific country or ones that cater to a specific dietary type.
Herbs And Spices
A herb and spice subscription is a great way for people to try new tastes and liven up their food. Different herb and spice blends can be mailed out along with new and interesting recipes they can be used in. This allows people to try lots of new flavours without purchasing large quantities of a product they may not like. Customers can be persuaded to purchase full size packs of spices they enjoy from your store.
Tech Gadgets
The tech space is full of new gadgetry and gizmos that can be packaged up in a subscription box for tech lovers. Technology regularly offers lots of new and novel items. So you should never be stuck for different products to include in your boxes.
Arts & Crafts
Craft projects are good for those that like to build and create new things. This could cover any craft hobbies including; woodcraft, knitting, jewelry making etc. These creative types of subscription box business ideas are particularly good if you are able to design a new project each month to keep it fresh and interesting.
Business/Personal Development
One of the more unique subscription box business ideas is personal development. This could be aimed at young professionals or aspiring entrepreneurs. Provide regular business/strategy/self help books and organisational items. Also included in each subscription could be access to different online courses and seminars to aid in their development.
Alcohol
The alcoholic beverages niche has lots of interesting areas to offer. From craft beers to artisan spirits and fine wines. It’s important to be focused on one main type of product such as whisky or gin for example. You will have a clearly defined target customer interested in your type of product offering.
When looking at subscription box business ideas containing things like alcohol, ensure you research if there are any prohibitions within your targeted jurisdictions. Don’t forgot some countries/states have restrictions on shipments of items like alcohol so ensure you are aware of regulations beforehand.
Clothing
The fashion and clothing category is very wide ranging. Don’t create a general clothing retailer. There are lots of interesting sub-niches to explore. This could be clothing aimed at a particular type of person or purpose such as baby clothes for instance.
Flowers
A flower subscription service is ideal for anybody with an existing florist business to help expand and grow your sales. Subscriptions can be on a regular schedule such as monthly or weekly. There are also good opportunities to sell additional items and gifts for special occasions to complement flowers.
Magic Box
Learning magic tricks is a popular hobby. Why not provide a magic box offering a different trick to learn each month? You could even include access to online video demonstrations of the tricks being performed.
Accessories
There are lots of possibilities for operating an accessories subscription box. This could include items such as hats, scarves, belts, hair accessories etc. There are lots of options for both males and females giving plenty of scope to create something unique within this category.
Fragrances
Scents and fragrances are often quite expensive items to purchase on their own. Customers can try samples of different types of fragrances at a fraction of the cost of purchasing full size bottles. You can always up-sell the full version of customer’s favorite products.
Puzzles & Games
If you aim to operate in this category then ensure you narrow down to a specific niche to target. It is not a good idea to mix and match different types of games. For instance board games can offer a great source of entertainment and are for playing with family and friends. Alternatively jigsaws and other puzzles are a more solitary pastime.
Luxury Fashion
The final of our subscription box business ideas is a subscription to luxury fashion items. Luxury fashion such as high end hand-bags are an aspirational item. But they are usually priced out of reach for most people. This is a great opportunity to provide luxury items to customers on a rental basis. An item such as a hand-bag is sent to customers. This is then returned in exchange for another high-end item the following month.
See how to make money investing in luxury goods.
Subscription Box Business Ideas Conclusion
We hope this list of subscription box business ideas has given you some good inspiration and ideas to create your own subscription box.
Subscription boxes can be a particularly good way of growing an existing retail business. Whatever type of products you sell, it’s likely it can be packaged into a subscription service. Almost any category of item can be offered as a subscription service.
Where the niche is broad and has lots of competition you need to focus on narrowing down into a sub-niche. For instance where certain household or personal care products use chemicals, look into natural alternatives. In food and health, look at dietary or lifestyle trends such as organic, vegan or keto etc.
There are lots of great subscription box companies out there but by making your brand unique you too can build a successful and profitable business.
Ready to give one of these subscription box business ideas a try? Learn how to start a subscription box business.
For some types of subscription business ideas, the dropshipping model can be used. Learn more in our guide to online dropshipping business.
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