Birchbox, Delivering Beauty Straight to Your Door
(img credit: Birchbox)
Would you pay $10 for 4-5 deluxe beauty samples delivered in a cute little box directly to your door? If so, there are over 100,000 others just like you. Birchbox, founded a mere two years ago in NYC, connects thousands of people to high end beauty related brands through their exclusive (there’s a waiting list to join!) monthly subscription service. Each month, subscribers receive their Birchbox filled with products selected based on their completed profile and preferences on the Birchbox main site. It’s like getting and having the fun of unwrapping a little present at the beginning of each month, except these mini gifts may actually be used daily. The product types include skincare, haircare, makeup and an extra “lifestyle” component (items such as tea, granola bars, assorted accessories). In addition to offering the subscription service, the Birchbox site also sells the full-sized products, which ship for free the month they are sampled. Initially only for women, Birchbox has now expanded to include a men’s box as well. Just this September, Birchbox has also expanding by acquiring JolieBox, a similar type of service offered in Europe.
Birchbox’s successful business model has spawned many copycats, specializing in beauty for women (MyGlam, GlossyBox, Beauty Army, New Beauty Test Tube, among others) and other types of products as well (Umba Box for handmade products or Wittlebee for children’s clothes). These services provide a fun (who doesn’t enjoy opening new packages received in the mail?) new way to try a host of novel products without leaving the house, doing much research, or making any purchasing decisions.
Birchbox is an example of a successful new type of intermediary between businesses and potential customers. It partners with a mix of big name brands and lesser known or up and coming ones. It connects these brands who are looking to expand their market and people who are interested in creating or updating their beauty regimens. This could be an especially useful service for individuals who do not live within a convenient distance to a beauty supply or department store, or for individuals who are overwhelmed by the sheer number of products available and don’t know where to even begin. Birchbox’s partners are well promoted to their subscribers; as well as the subscription service, Birchbox makes good use of social media to create a sense of community among its subscribers and offers useful fashion and beauty tips, often related to the products they are promoting. While subscribers can gain useful information about various companies and their products, the partnered companies may gain not only potential loyal customers but also feedback about what kinds of products consumers are interested in. From the subscription profiles as well as the full-sized product sales, Birchbox can aggregate data on the preferences and purchasing habits of various types of people.
Click here to go to the Birchbox main site if you would like to find out more or even subscribe for the service.
If you would like to read more, you can also go to this related article.
Have a good rest of the week!
-deewho