Are you ready to start your own food subscription box business using Shopify? If so, you’ve come to the right place; we’re here today to help you sell delicious delights!
Using Shopify for switching to food and beverage subscription models is a great way to get your products out to the world, and it’s not as hard as you may think. In fact, over the past three years, the food and beverage subscription box industry has seen tremendous growth. According to a report from statista, the market size of this industry has grown from $2.2 billion in 2017 to $3.7 billion in 2020. This represents an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%. Impressive! Isn’t it?
The key benefit of selling food and beverage subscription boxes on Shopify is that it is a low-cost and low-risk way to enter the market. Shopify makes it easy for entrepreneurs to set up subscription on their own stores, and the platform offers a wide range of features and tools to help them succeed. Plus, Subify, as a Shopify’s subscription app, allows businesses to easily manage their subscription services and track customer orders too.
With the food subscription box, consumers can forget about the same boring meals and experience something new every day. Isn’t that something you’d like to be a part of?
Food Subscription Box Business Example
HelloFresh is a meal-kit delivery service that has revolutionized the way people think about meal preparation. With its convenient and affordable delivery of pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes, it has become one of the most successful food subscription box services in the world.
Since its launch in 2011, HelloFresh has experienced tremendous growth, with a current customer base of over 10 million subscribers. The company has grown its revenue to over $2.5 billion in 2019, and its total revenue has grown by an impressive 32% year-over-year.
HelloFresh has been able to make a huge impact on the food industry. It has drastically reduced food waste by providing customers with pre-portioned ingredients, as well as reducing customer trips to the grocery store. This has resulted in a huge reduction in food waste and a huge saving in time and money for customers. (What a great all-in-one deal, isn’t it?)
The company has also had a significant impact on the environment, as it has significantly reduced its carbon footprint by using its own energy-efficient delivery vehicles. HelloFresh has also been a leader in sustainability practices, introducing compostable packaging and working with local suppliers to source sustainable ingredients.
The team at HelloFresh has achieved a great deal of success since its launch, and the company is well-positioned to continue its growth in the years to come. With its focus on providing convenient and affordable meal solutions, HelloFresh is sure to remain a leader in the food subscription box delivery industry.
Inspired enough? HelloFresh is full of lessons that you won’t want to miss.
Isn’t it time for you to take the first step towards a life-changing experience of your own? Continue reading to learn how!
The 7+ Important Steps to Launching a Food Subscription Box on Shopify
The food and beverage subscription box industry is an attractive one for entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the trend. With the help of Shopify, businesses can quickly and easily get their subscription service up and running. For entrepreneurs to succeed in this growing industry, they need the right strategy, the right steps, and the right Shopify subscription apps.
1. Research Your Competitors
Take the time to research what other food subscription boxes are available and what makes them successful. Consider the types of products they offer, the recipes, the online presence, the pricing, the packaging, and any other features they have.
2. Source Quality Ingredients
The foundation of any meal kit delivery is the quality of its ingredients. Start by finding the best suppliers for your ingredients. Look for organic, farm-fresh, and locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Research packaging and storage techniques to keep ingredients fresh and flavorful.
3. Develop Delicious Menus
Create recipes that both appeal to customers and are easy to prepare. Consider regional flavors and dietary preferences. Aim for recipes that can be cooked in under 30 minutes. And if you’re a restaurant owner or working with one, don’t miss the opportunity to add a paper recipe to your food subscription box (or one with details about the catering and the ingredients).
4. Choose a Packaging Company
Next, you’ll need to choose a packaging company to ship your boxes and a proper subscription box design. Consider the cost of packaging, the size of the boxes, and the speed of delivery.
5. Build an Email List
Build an email list of potential customers by offering a signup form on your website. Use this list to send out newsletters and promotions to build interest in your food subscription box. It is simply wrong to think that all the marketing activities can wait till after launching your box; you already have a number of visitors to your website that can become your first subscribers.
6. Set Up Subscriptions on Shopify
If you want to set up subscriptions on Shopify, you can add your products, set discount codes, and choose delivery frequencies, all from your Subify dashboard. As a subscription management app, Subify will automatically add a subscription widget to your subscription product pages. It will be your decision whether to give your subscribers the option to prepay, make a one-time purchase, subscribe, or all.
Automated payments, advanced subscription settings, personalized widget customization, subscription landing pages, email notifications, and marketing tools are only a few of the features you will be given with Subify.
Whether you’re new to the industry or you’re a senior looking for coachings tailored to your brand, Subify’s Customer Success managers are here to give you a super dedicated attention.
The only thing better than freshly-prepared food is a freshly-managed subscription plan!
7. Promote and Monitor Your Business
Once you have everything set up, it’s time to start promoting your food subscription box. Consider using subscription marketing strategies like social media, blogging, and email marketing to reach your target market.
Start campaigns for rating your food or unboxing videos that will get more people involved. Use tools such as your Subify dashboard, Google Analytics, and Shopify Marketing for monitoring your results as well.
With these 7 steps, your brand will be up and running in no time, but… are you ready to spice it up?
8. Offer a variety of regional cuisines
A food and beverage subscription box can be unique by offering a variety of regional cuisines. By focusing on local specialties and ingredients, customers can discover new flavors, textures, and ingredients from around the world. This gives them an opportunity to explore different cultures without having to leave the comfort of their own home.
9. Personalized menus
A unique way to stand out from the competition is to offer personalized menus to customers. By taking the time to get to know their customers and their individual tastes, the food subscription box can curate a selection of food and beverages tailored to their customers’ preferences. This can be done through surveys or simply by getting to know the customer on a more personal level.
10. Include fun and Educational Activities
A food and beverage subscription box can also stand out by including fun and educational activities for customers. This could include recipes, videos, activities, or even online courses to teach customers new cooking skills or introduce them to interesting ingredients. This type of content gives customers the chance to learn something new while still enjoying the subscription box.
11. Include eco-friendly packaging
Another way to make a food subscription box stand out is to include eco-friendly packaging, just like HelloFresh. By using biodegradable or recyclable materials, customers can feel good about their purchase and know that they are helping the environment.
12. Offer Vegan Products
It is important for food subscription box brands to include vegan and vegetarian foods because these specific diets have proven to be increasingly popular and of course, those who follow these diets don’t want to be limited in their meal choices. Additionally, offering vegan and vegetarian meals can make meal kit brands more appealing to a wider range of customers and make them more inclusive.
After all, having the chance to participate in something good is always nice too. We all live on the same planet, don’t we?
13. Feature local artisans
By showcasing the work of local farmers, bakers, brewers, and other food producers, customers can support local businesses while also discovering new products.
Local artisans often provide unique ingredients that can’t be found in stores, adding a unique flavor to the food subscription boxes. Customers also appreciate the personal touch that comes from buying locally, which can help to increase the sense of community and customer loyalty.
14. Include a gift card
A food subscription box is in for a big win by including a gift card with each delivery. This can be used to purchase additional items from the subscription box, or it can be given to friends or family as a gift.
15. Offer additional products
Finally, a food and beverage subscription box can totally win the competition by offering additional products such as cookbooks, kitchen tools, or even subscriptions to other services. This can give customers more value for their money and give them the opportunity to explore other products and services.
Conslusion
As more people are turning to healthier eating habits, having a food subscription box brand can be a great way to provide nutritious and delicious meals to your customers.
Shopify is a great platform for store owners to start a subscription brand of their own, and Subify, as the subscription management app, provides teams and companies with all, the best tools for creating the best subscription boxes on shopify.
Try Subify today: It’s the secret ingredient to making your subscription boxes a success!
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