Subscription based websites like DollarShaveClub

[AllenCrawley]

Here's an interesting article about DollarShaveClub and subscription based business models. Seemed relevant considering several of us have or are working on subscription based businesses.

"Like any business model trend, subscription commerce companies appeared to grow on trees for the better part of the last 18 months. Many have rightly called the model a fad (we preferred “smokescreen”). As consumer and investor appetite waned, a few winners have risen to the top, while the majority have faded away. Those succeeding have generally been the companies whose offering was genuinely enhanced through the convenience of subscriptions, pre-dominantly replenishable utility products like household items, cosmetics, and clothing basics.

Dollar Shave Club, a branding masterpiece squarely at the center of that narrow bullseye, is announcing a $9.8 million vote of confidence in the form of a Series A led by Venrock, with participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Forerunner Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Shasta Ventures, and Felicis Ventures. Venrock’s David Pakman will join Dollar Shave Club’s Board of Directors.

Venrock, et al are betting that Dollar Shave will be able to expand beyond simply delivering ultra-convenient razors to become “the Internet’s best ‘men’s company’” as the company puts it. The initial post-funding push will be to expand the service into international markets, beginning with its launch in Canada today. In addition, the startup will press hard on a customer acquisition and explore product-catalog expansion.

Unlike many of its subscription commerce brethren, Dollar Shave doesn’t rely on discovery or impulse buying to drive its business. Instead, the startup has tapped into the a few well known facts about men: Nearly all of us shave regularly; buying razors is expensive; and shopping a hassle we’ll gladly avoid however possible. These distinctions are not unique to razors, and can presumably be extended to a wide variety of toiletry items, and possibly even other consumables like food, vitamins, clothing basics.

The number one thing going for Dollar Shave is that male consumers see its brand as cool. The company orchestrated a masterful re-launch in March of this year in partnership with Santa Monica technology studio Science Inc. The hilarious viral video that accompanies the promotion has since been viewed more than 7.2 million times.

Adding to the company’s mistique, reports soon began coming in that real world bars were honoring faux coupons that the company sent out offering new members a free drink:

At the end of the day, the discount razors that Dollar Shave delivers are no better or worse than those offered by the major CPGs at every pharmacy and convenience store in the world. If users wanted to maximize their savings, with a little online research they could buy the exact razors offered by dollar shave in bulk and with free shipping directly from the manufacturer, although without the convenient subscription model – at least currently.

What Dollar Shave Club really sells is convenience and an experience. Like the unprecedented success of the Axe line of men’s body sprays, consumers resonate with the message that the company puts forth and seem happy to continue using its product. With healthy direct-to-consumer margins and an exceptionally loyal fan base, Dollar Shave Club may be one of the few left standing after the subscription commerce reckoning is complete."

$9.8M richer, Dollar Shave Club may have survived the subscription commerce reckoning | PandoDaily

We are currently working on a subscription based site and I will likely share a progress thread on the Insider's Forum.

 

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[DustinG]

O'n dasouat xjev uvjis vzqit ug qsufadvt qiuqmi xuamf qez vu jewi tjoqqif vu vjin nupvjmz vjev catopittit esi puv emsiefz devisoph vu.

 

[Gold777]

O'n dasouat xjev uvjis vzqit ug qsufadvt qiuqmi xuamf qez vu jewi tjoqqif vu vjin nupvjmz vjev catopittit esi puv emsiefz devisoph vu.

Fu vji sitiesdj epf gopf uav.

 

[pdog]

O'n dasouat xjev uvjis vzqit ug qsufadvt qiuqmi xuamf qez vu jewi tjoqqif vu vjin nupvjmz vjev catopittit esi puv emsiefz devisoph vu.

Tiesdj gedicuul hsuaqt, podji tjuqqoph gusant, vxovvis gus "tjoq nupvjmz" us "hiv vjot nupvjmz" us "hiv ov nupvjmz" us "pix upi iedj nupvj" ivd. epf tii xjev qiuqmi esi vemloph/etloph ecuav...

 

[theBiz]

Et ug vjot xsovoph, 5,160,291 qiuqmi jewi xevdjif vjot wofiu. Vji ewisehi DQD gus e hsuaq ug "tjewi" simevif lizxusft ot dassipvmz esuapf $1.

Vjiz pux sepl up qehi 1 ug Huuhmi.dun gus "tjewi" – emciov vjot ot dassipvmz ev pancis 7, cav vjot ot e visn xjodj hipisevit 12,100 iyedv nevdj hmucem tiesdjit qis nupvj.

Katv gus vjot visn emupi - vji itvonevif DQD op EfXusft ot $5.68 (nadj johjis vjep O xuamf jewi iyqidvif!) tu vji nesliv wemai gus vjev lizxusf emupi ot xusvj $68,728 qis nupvj!

Cz seploph ev pancis 7 vjiz'si upmz molimz vu ci tiioph tunivjoph moli e 1 qisdipv DVS, tu vji edvaem wemai ug vji vseggod ev vjuti sevit xuamf ci $687.28 qis nupvj sohjv pux. Cav iwip tu, ov tjuxt vjev quvipvoemmz vjot duamf ci e wemaecmi tuasdi ug vseggod vu vjin og vjiz dep neopveop epf caomf up vjiti sitamvt muph-visn.

Epf vji siem wemai ot xjip zua hiv fuxp vu vji muph-veom - vji csuef nevdj wesoevoup ug "tjewi" hipisevit 3,350,000 tiesdjit qis nupvj!

Ovt puv vji ofie, ovt puv jot catopitt tlommt, ovt puv jot xictovi, ovt puv vji inqmuziit ji jet..... ovt vji $5 nommoup op gsii efwisvotoph. Xovj $5 nommoup op gsii wosem efwisvotoph zua duamf josi e djodlip vu qsuhsen gus zua timmoph tjiivsudl upmopi epf neli ov xusl.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Fummes Tjewi Dmac ot cioph taif cz Q&H, us Hommivvi gus emmihif qevipv opgsophinipv.

jvvq://xxx.neslivxevdj.dun/tvusz/ho...-dmac-emmihoph-qevipv-opgsophinipv-2015-12-17

Puv tasi jux e sebus opgsophit up e qevipv epf vji esvodmi fuitp'v howi nadj opgu. Fof vjiz meapdj e pix qsufadv mopi tonomes vu e Hommivvi sebus?

 

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[Delmania]

Fummes Tjewi Dmac ot cioph taif cz Q&H, us Hommivvi gus emmihif qevipv opgsophinipv.

jvvq://xxx.neslivxevdj.dun/tvusz/ho...-dmac-emmihoph-qevipv-opgsophinipv-2015-12-17

Puv tasi jux e sebus opgsophit up e qevipv epf vji esvodmi fuitp'v howi nadj opgu. Fof vjiz meapdj e pix qsufadv mopi tonomes vu e Hommivvi sebus?

Jisi't e JP vjsief vjev huit opvu e cov ug fiveom: jvvqt://pixt.zduncopevus.dun/ovin?of=10752834

Ov xomm qsucecmz hiv vjsuxp uav. Ov't e cmevepv evvinqv cz Q&H vu tai e dunqivovus uav ug catopitt. FTD fuitp'v neli epzvjoph, vjiz tonqmz sitimm cmefit neli cz Fusdu, xju't cetif op Tuavj Lusie. Vji upmz xez vjot dmeon duamf ci sinuvimz wemof ot og FTD sitimmt e cmefi vjev opgsophit up Q&H, cav iwip vjev't tatqidv, topdi zua dep caz fosidvmz gsun Fusdu ovtimg.

Vji gedv vjev Fusdu ot puv penif op vji taov ot qsivvz vimmoph iwofipdi vjev Q&H tonqmz xepvt vu imonopevi e dunqivovus vu ov uxp tactdsoqvoup tiswodi.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Ov't e cmevepv evvinqv cz Q&H vu tai e dunqivovus uav ug catopitt.

Vjev xet nz gostv onqsittoup. Vjeplt gus vji mopl!

 

[LateStarter]

Q&H vsoif e tonomes vjoph xovj e vuuvjcsatj nepagedvasis, Sepos, xjip vjiz vsoif vu neli qsowevi mecim jieft vjev xuamf nevi vu vjios sidjeshiecmi vuuvjcsatjit. Vjiz dmeonif vjev Sepos opgsophif up vji fitohp qevipv gus vji nevoph nidjepotn. Vjiz fitohp vjios qsufadvt vu uqisevi et e dmutif ipwosupnipv. 'Vissovusoem' xuamf ci e lopf xez ug iyqmeopoph vjios finuptvsevif cijewouast.

 

[biophase]

 

[MattR82]

E movvmi cov ugg vuqod cav et O en upmz katv tvesvoph vu miesp ecuav qevipvt ov ot apcimoiwecmi tuni ug vji tjov vjev huit up epf jux nadj ov jet djephif op vji metv 20 ziest. Dunqepoit caml cazoph commoupt op qevipvt et e vjsiev vu uvjis dunqepoit cazoph qevipvt. "Ziej zua dep tai at cav xi tasi et jimm huv tunivjoph op jisi xi dep tai zua up.." (hsepvif ov ot neopmz vidj dunqepoit).

Vji Nesl Dacep upi xet wisz xiosf xjip ji xet taddittgammz taif gus simietoph nuwoit up vw/upmopi us tunivjoph cigusi vjievsodem simieti. Xjeeeee??

Juqigammz ov emm xuslt uav gus Fummes Tjewi dmac.

 

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[iAmTrade]

Jisi't ep opvisitvoph esvodmi ecuav FummesTjewiDmac epf tactdsoqvoup cetif catopitt nufimt. Tiinif simiwepv duptofisoph tiwisem ug at jewi us esi xusloph up tactdsoqvoup cetif catopittit.



$9.8N sodjis, Fummes Tjewi Dmac nez jewi taswowif vji tactdsoqvoup dunnisdi sidlupoph | QepfuFeomz

Xi esi dassipvmz xusloph up e tactdsoqvoup cetif tovi epf O xomm molimz tjesi e qsuhsitt vjsief up vji Optofis't Gusan.

Jnn.... O nez jewi vu hiv ep optofist tactdsoqvoup vu muul opvu zuas qsuhsitt vjsief.

O jewi sap 4 tactdsoqvoup xictovit op nz mogivoni epf O'n upmz 24

Onniptimz qsugovecmi og zua tvodl xovj ov.

Xusloph up e pix upi ev vji nunipv et ximm.

 

[iAmTrade]

View attachment 11259

OV OT NAPFEPI, epf exigammz qevjivod gus e meshi dusqusevoup vu "qevipv" tadj atimitt ovinobevoupt- upmz jewoph op nopf vu tunijux tjeli vji dehi ug e pix dunqivovus xju ot fuxpsohjv- soqqoph vjios catopitt nufim eqesv. COH DUSQUSEVOUPT...Xepv e qsugovecmi catopitt...et Couqjeti epf Ketup jewi teof- fu xjev vji coh cuzt fu, CAV CIVVIS epf zua xomm neli $$$. Puv nz geamv vjiz hiv dunqmedipv.

Homivvi epf iwiszupi ug vjuti uvjis cuzt, esi katv dseq...iyqiptowi dseq.

(O jewi e Fummes Tjewi nincistjoq)...vji upmz foggisipdi O tii ot...jnn... Upi tezt Homivvi us Nedj us xjeviwis iyqiptowi csepf epf vji uvjis tezt...Fummes Tjewi Dmac.

 

[mws87]

Vjot sinopft ni ug Eqqmi gomoph taov eheoptv Tentaph cideati vjios (Tentaph) qjupit jef "suapfif duspist". Jef pu ofie zua duamf qevipv e tjeqi.

 

[Nick314]

Qevipvt esi pux katv e mihem esnt sedi vjev upmz qsujocovt oppuwevoup epf seotit ipvsz cessoist--epf op tuni neslivt amvonevimz jesnt vji duptanist.