These women-focused startups are acing the online subscription model in India
Following Birchbox, the New York-based online monthly subscription service for beauty products, quite a few startups are building online subscription-model in India.
How do you build loyalty from consumers? In the last 50 years or so, consumer businesses have tried different methods for bringing customers back to their platform repeatedly. Retention is as important as acquisition, as competition is mounting in every consumer retail sectors.
Indian retail biggies like Shoppers’ Stop and WestSide have made membership a major tool for customer loyalty. However, in the online retail sector, it is the subscription model that works better to build customer loyalty – as Amazon, US-based ecommerce giant, proved with its subscription service Amazon Prime years ago.
Today, Amazon claims that India is its fastest growing market for Prime subscription - a sign that the Indian consumer is warming up to subscription model.
Lifestyle is the next big category which is catching up on the trend. For instance, Poshtick (for healthy snacks), The Big Book Box (for books), Zomato (for food delivery), and Nykaa (for cosmetics) are experimenting with different models under subscription.
Following Birchbox, the New York-based online monthly subscription service for beauty products, quite a few startups are building online subscription-model in India. YourStory takes a look at the startups in fashion and lifestyle sector which are making a mark with different products.
Beauty and cosmetics
Glamego: One-year-old Glamego offers subscription-based beauty boxes every month with premium national, international, and niche brands valued at Rs 2,000 for just Rs 299 for six months. They offer different prices for different durations for subscriptions.
Fabbag: Launched in 2012, Fabbag - funded by Rajan Anandan, Nakul Gupta, and India Quotient funded – turned profitable in 2014. Their offers vary from Rs 599 for one month, to Rs 416 per month for one year for monthly delivery of six items.
Jewellery and accessories
The Little Bauble Box: One stop destination for designer jewellery from all over the world, The Little Bauble Box offers brands like Silvette and Simran Chhabra among others. It offers products on platforms like Wedding Brigade too.
Bling Bag: Founded by Mumbai-based computer engineer-turned-entrepreneur Harvi Shah, this startup helps women buy affordable premium jewellery. Their collection is curated according to the latest trends, and offers single purchases too.
Luxury
My Envy Box: Luxury has never been more affordable – whether it is in jewellery brands like Deepa Gurnani and Olivia Dar or beauty brands like Shiseido, Lancome and Benefit. The monthly Subscription Beauty Box comes with five product samples. You can also shop for the full size products under its loyalty programme.
VanityCask: From Rs 999 for a month to Rs 4199 for six months, VanityCask already has customers across 200 cities. Launched in 2015, this Mumbai-based startup is seed funded by RB Investments. Like its peers, VanityCask also offers different products in each month’s box.
Personal care
Carmesi: This all-natural brand of sanitary napkin is available for purchase at Rs 349 for a pack of 10. Under the subscription plans, they provide quarterly deliveries tailored to the period cycle of the customer. Each delivery comprises the supply of a quarter.
Being Juliet: In two different subscription plans, this four-year-old company provides everything a woman needs during her period – sanitary supplies, pain comforters, a pampering kit, etc. You can also buy menstrual cups, sanitary disposal bags, and green tea from different brands on this platform.
