7-Step Guide to Run a Beauty Box Subscription Service on Shopify

What Are Beauty Box Subscriptions?

Imagine having your favorite makeup samples and beauty supplies delivered to your doorstep on a monthly schedule without the need to order them every month. You can also set new timing based on your needs!

Beauty box subscriptions are services that deliver products such as makeup, skincare, body care, and hair care products, to a customer’s doorstep on a monthly basis. The monthly subscription typically includes a variety of high-quality products and samples that are based on each customer’s personal tastes and preferences. Subscribers can select from a range of boxes that can include different product categories like cosmetics, hair care, skincare, or body care.

What makes beauty box subscriptions worth trying? The idea behind beauty box subscriptions is that they provide people with convenient access to a variety of beauty supplies each month without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. Customers get to try different goods and discover what works best for them without having to invest on full-size products, as they are receiving beauty products directly to their home every month.

Beauty Box Subscription Market Growth Records

The subscription box market has grown rapidly in recent years.

• In 2022, global sales of Beauty Subscription were held at US$ 723.7 Million.
• With a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.7% from 2023 to 2033, the market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 10.2 Billion by the end of the forecast period.
• Curated beauty subscription boxes are expected to be the highest revenue-generating segment, projected to grow at a CAGR of over 28.3% from 2023 to 2033.

A significant segment of this market is beauty boxes. These subscription boxes for women and men offer a unique and personalized way to discover new beauty products, without the overwhelm of choice faced in-store.

Shopify subscription apps like Subify have made it easier than ever for businesses to create, manage, and sell subscription boxes, contributing to their growing prevalence.

How Do Beauty Box Subscriptions Benefit You?

Depending on the different pros and cons of the subscription models, you can evaluate whether this kind of service is right for you or not. Beauty box subscriptions are beneficial, no matter on which side of this deal you are. From the consumer’s perspective, these subscriptions provide an opportunity to try out a variety of products in a convenient and cost-effective manner. This can lead to the discovery of new favorites and can save consumers the time and effort of searching for and purchasing individual items.

But how do they benefit you as the business owner? Here’s 4 reasons:

1. They’re subscription-worthy

Beauty products are typically used on a daily basis and need to be renewed regularly. This makes them perfect for a subscription model, as customers can receive their favorite products at regular intervals without the hassle of placing individual orders each time. Moreover, the high demand for beauty products means that there is a large customer base for businesses to tap into. By offering beauty box subscriptions, you can make a loyalty program, loyal customer base and enjoy a steady income growth.

2. In terms of income, they’re solid

Beauty box subscriptions offer a steady and predictable source of income for your business. Customers pay a recurring fee, typically on a monthly basis, depending on their subscription pricing model of their choice which translates into consistent revenue for the company. This subscription model not only provides financial stability but also allows your business to forecast future earnings more accurately. if you want more information about different types of subscription business models you can read this article.

3. They increase brand awareness

Beauty box subscriptions serve as an effective marketing tool, helping your company reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. By including your products in these boxes, you can introduce your offerings to potential customers who are already interested in beauty products, thereby increasing the likelihood of gaining new loyal customers.

4. They help you with data-driven decisions

Subscription boxes can also help shop owners to gain insight into their customers’ buying habits and preferences. By tracking what products customers are purchasing and how often they are choosing them, shop owners can gain valuable information. Making use of the data you get from beauty box subscription plans, you can use data to track customer churn rates, or how often customers cancel their subscriptions. This can help you identify potential problems and make changes to improve customer retention.

How to Choose the Best Beauty Subscription Box for Your Business?

Selecting the best beauty subscription box for your business is not too difficult, but there are a few things to consider. For example you need to think about your brand, your target market, the items you want to provide, and the amount of money you are willing to spend. It is one of the most important things to consider the cost to start a subscription box business. The following advice will help you make the best decision:

1. Identify Your Target Market

You must first identify your target customers and determine their requirements and preferences in order to do the task correctly.

• Ask them how much they would be willing to spend on a beauty box membership as well.
• You may get this data by analyzing social media, conducting surveys, or studying the customers and operations of other beauty boxes.
• Next, you may look at what makes your subscription bundling unique.

2. Set Your Budget

Here are some following tips:

• You need to calculate the cost of delivery for your beauty goods, package them, and mail them each month.
• Remember to keep things like processing paperwork, assisting clients, and letting others know about your box.
• Online resources might assist you in estimating your expenses and earnings.
• You can get help from online sites to estimate your expenses and earnings.
• Additionally, you might take a look at different beauty boxes to determine if they fit into your budget.

3. Choose Your Product Selection

How do you choose your product selection? Answer this question by following these steps:

• You need to decide about what kind of beauty products you want to include in your box, such as makeup, skincare, haircare, fragrance, or even a diverse blend of all. 
• You also need to decide whether you want to offer full-size or sample-size products, or a combination of both.
• You can use online platforms to help you find and connect with beauty suppliers and brands.
• Examining customer reviews and ratings of various beauty products can provide insights into their preferences and dislikes.

4. Create Your Branding

If you want to complete these steps:

• You need to create a name, logo, design, and theme for your beauty subscription box that reflects your vision and values.
• You also need to create a website, social media accounts, and email newsletters that showcase your box and attract customers.
• There are a number of online tools to create and design your branding elements.
• You can also look at the branding strategies of successful beauty subscription boxes and see what makes them stand out to get more information subscription business growth strategies.

7 Steps into Launching Your Beauty Box Subscription Business

Starting a beauty subscription business can be a fun, successful, and rewarding experience. The Glossybox team probably didn’t imagine being featured on Vogue, as one of the best beauty box subscription services; Did they?

After choosing the right beauty subscription box for your business, you need to follow these 7 steps to launch it successfully:

Step 1: Setting Up Your Shopify Store

When you decide to launch beauty box subscription business on Shopify:

• First, you need to choose a unique and memorable domain name for it.
• Secondly, choose a theme that aligns with your brand identity and the beauty industry to create an attractive online presence. Customize your store’s design using subscription box design tips, and layout to perfectly showcase your beauty box offerings because your customers make decisions based on what they see in your store, and the design has an effect on their choices.
• Third, Install essential apps like Recurring Orders for subscription billing and inventory control to simplify your operations. Don’t forget the importance of optimizing your store for mobile devices, ensuring a user-friendly experience for those who shop via their smartphones.
• Finally, set up payment gateways and shipping options to provide a smooth and hassle-free checkout process for your customers.

Step 2: Curating Irresistible Beauty Boxes

If you want your beauty box subscription business to become successful, you MUST ensure that your products are of very high quality. So:

• Research and choose high-quality beauty products from reputable brands.
• Then, design monthly themes or collections creatively that resonate with your subscribers’ interests and current beauty trends. To add even more appeal to your boxes, partner with well-known beauty brands to feature exclusive products.
• Last but not least, remember to design eye-catching packaging that improves your subscribers’ unboxing experience.

Step 3: Pricing and Subscription Models

Pricing is very important because it can influence your customers’ final purchasing decisions. To establish the best and most competitive pricing for your store:

• You should consider researching your competitors to set prices that provide value while also ensuring profitability.
• Next to meet a range of customer needs, provide a selection of subscription business plans, such as monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscriptions.
• Additionally, consider offering trial subscriptions, because it helps to attract new customers. So, you allow them to experience your beauty box before committing to a longer subscription.

Step 4: Seamless Order Fulfillment and Shipping

Customer satisfaction can be a key factor, and you can achieve a high level of customer satisfaction by ensuring efficient order fulfillment and shipping.

• You can employ inventory management tools to monitor your stock levels and prevent over-selling.
• In addition, automate shipping labels and connect with shipping companies to speed up the shipment process.
• Lastly, enhance the customer experience by providing tracking information, keeping subscribers informed about the status of their deliveries.
• If you didn’t get the result you have expected, use customer experience transformation.

Step 5: Customer Acquisition and Retention Strategies

Attracting and retaining customers is crucial for ensuring your business thrives. It can be more challenging than you might expect, but don’t worry!

• You can achieve this by engaging in content marketing, which involves creating appealing beauty-related content on your blog and social media platforms.
• Regular newsletters and promotions via email marketing help in engaging and retaining subscribers.
• Implementing referral systems, where existing customers get paid to refer friends, can help you grow your client base.
• Partnering with beauty influencers can also help in promoting your boxes.
• Finally, remember the value of consumer feedback: actively seek out comments from customers and apply them to improve your goods and services over time.

Step 6: Enhancing the Subscriber Experience

Delivering a personalized and enjoyable experience is fundamental for long-term success. Every company wants long-term success, which comes from giving your clients a unique and enjoyable experience. You can achieve this by:

• Offering customization options, allowing subscribers to personalize their boxes or products.
• Provide exclusive content like beauty tips, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes insights to make subscribers feel special and more engaged.
• Also, include occasional customized surprises in your boxes to leave your subscribers happily pleased and asking for more.

Step 7: Scaling and Expanding Your Beauty Box Business

As your business expands, it’s important to think about strategies for growth.

• One way to do this is by collaborating with beauty brands and influencers, which can enhance brand visibility. You should also focus on effective inventory management by investing in systems that can handle increased demand.
• Continuously make your marketing strategies better to reach a wider audience and consider offering international shipping to expand your reach.
• You need to use data and statistics to help you make well-informed decisions about growth.

5 Most Successful Businesses Offering Beauty Subscription Boxes

Here, we’ve featured a few notable beauty subscription boxes along with the goods they offer. We’ve even gone above and beyond by detailing the advantages and disadvantages of each, giving you an in-depth understanding of what makes a successful beauty subscription box. Here We have 5 top subscription beauty boxes which you might find inspiring:

1. Birchbox

Subscription cost per box: $20 per month

Estimated customers: about 1 million subscribers

Customization: Customers choose each product

About Birchbox: It’s a popular beauty subscription box which includes a variety of samples like beauty supplies and drugstore products. The offerings are selected by customers and contain samples of famous brands. They not only provide Customers with their desired beauty products but also self care and health products.

Pros

• 500 Brand partnerships
• Available in 6 countries and cheap worldwide shipping
• An an e-commerce store to buy full-size products

Cons

• Limited market: Focused on the North American and European markets

2. Icon Box

Subscription cost per box: $58 every 3 months

Estimated customers: about 3.5 million subscribers

Customization: Choose 3 products (5 other products have more revenue)

About Icon Box: Icon Box is available for BoxyCharm and Glam Bag members. This beauty product subscription is ideal for customers who enjoy celebrity-curated beauty products. A surprise celebrity curator selects the eight full-size items that they will receive in each quarter’s Icon Box. Prior curators included Huda Kattan, Khloe Kardashian, and Halsey. They can choose three products to receive in your quarterly box, and new products are added on a regular basis.

Pros

• The largest provider of subscriptions for full-size beauty products
• This revenue surpassed US$300 million

Cons

• Losing customers due to a lack of product variety

3. Allure Beauty Box

Subscription cost per box:$13 per month

Estimated customers: about 5.6 million subscribers

Customization: Some months it offers personalized items

About Allure Beauty Box: The delivered boxes of Allure Beauty Box are worth over $100. The products and samples from famous brands, all approved by Allure editors. The boxes contain the latest cosmetics, face masks and skin care products. The make up subscriptions include exclusive limited-edition boxes, members-only prices, virtual events, and product promo codes.

Pros

• 100% authentic international beauty brands
• Mostly known for Allure magazine

Cons

• Relies mostly on its magazine

3. Glam Bag

Subscription cost per box:$12 per month

Estimated customers: about 3.5 million subscribers

Customization: Some months it offers personalized items

About Glam Bag: Glam Bag provides monthly deluxe samples of drugstore and luxury products, such as skincare, makeup, and beauty tools, for $13. The IPSY beauty quiz allows users to explore and review products, and in exchange, they receive a cute bag featuring a new design created by the in-house design team.

Pros

• US$300 million inn 2022
• Over 2 million shipping every months

Cons

• Low quality control

4. BoxyCharm

Subscription cost per box:$28 per month

Estimated customers: About 3.5 million subscribers

Customization: Customers choose 3 items

About BoxyCharm: A monthly subscription of five full-size beauty products from independent and well-known brands, with a maximum retail value of $200, is available from BoxyCharm. Each month, members can choose three items from a selection of palettes, lipsticks, brushes, and skincare products included in the box.

Pros

• $470.0K annual revenue
• 125 Employees, extensive research and analysis

Cons

• Losing customers due to offering Only beauty products

Organic and Eco-Friendly: The New Norm in Beauty Boxes

In the beauty box sector, one subscription trend stands out: the shift towards organic and eco-friendly products. A recent survey by Kline found that 46% of all beauty box subscribers prefer boxes that offer eco-friendly products, while 50% are more likely to choose a subscription box that features organic products.

For example, Love Goodly, a bi-monthly beauty box subscription, curates only full-size, non-toxic, and cruelty-free beauty products. Another example is the GreenUp box, which is committed to helping subscribers reduce plastic waste by offering sustainable personal care products.

Role of Subscription Box in Sustainable Market Growth

The popularity in organic and eco-friendly beauty boxes wouldn’t be possible without the technology that powers them. Shopify subscription apps, like Subify, have been instrumental in this shift. These apps provide the necessary tools for businesses to create customizable subscription boxes, manage subscriptions, and handle recurring payments seamlessly.

Subify, in particular, has been a game-changer. Its user-friendly interface and powerful features make it an ideal solution for both start-ups and established businesses looking to enter the subscription box market. Its ability to handle the complex logistics of subscription management allows businesses to focus on curating the best possible products for their customers.

Spotlight: Goddess of the Sea

Goddess of the Sea, a Subify-powered beauty subscription box, is making big changes in the organic and eco-friendly space. This luxury brand delivers natural feminine and skincare products aimed at restoring comfort, wellbeing, and confidence. Their offerings range from organic feminine hygiene products to natural skincare items, all meticulously curated and conveniently delivered.

Using the power of Subify, Goddess of the Sea offers a personalized, eco-friendly beauty box experience that underscores the potential of this Shopify subscription app in the growing beauty box market. It’s a clear testament to how brands can utilize technology to meet the increasing consumer demand for sustainable, eco-friendly products.

The Future of Beauty Boxes Subscriptions

As we move further into 2024, the trend toward organic and eco-friendly monthly beauty box shows no signs of slowing down. Businesses are starting to offer more innovative items; some even provide men’s subscription boxes with eco-friendly grooming products.

With the continued rise in consumer demand for these products and the streamlined capabilities provided by Shopify subscription apps like Subify, we can expect to see even more growth in this sector.

Conclusion

Beauty box subscriptions create a win-win situation for both customers and businesses, making them a popular choice in the beauty industry. They offer consumers a personalized, convenient, and exciting way to discover new products. As we’ve seen, the market growth records indicate a promising future for this market.

As businesses continue to innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences, we can expect to see more growth and evolution in this space. Remember, running a successful Beauty Box Subscription service is not an overnight process. It requires careful planning, continuous learning, and constant optimization. But with the right approach and resources, it’s an opportunity worth exploring. Shopify apps provide the necessary tools for businesses to manage their subscription plans all-in-one. Subify subscription app is here to help you with automatic subscription management & recurring payment. Let’s get started now!