Why have subscription box services gained so much traction among consumers?

The beauty market, especially in the U.S., is an extremely congested place. Sorting through the endless array of classic and new products that seem to pop up every day is a confusing and time consuming task and because of this, women rely on experts and recommendations from friends to sort through the clutter. The bottom line is that women like to try the product before they commit to it and as Estée Lauder said, “sampling is the most honest way to do business,” which we couldn’t agree more with.

Also, in today’s digital age, most people are looking at a screen to make their next purchase, rendering us more removed than ever from the tangible product. Sampling not only allows the consumer to experience the product but it also contextualizes it within a theme or a story based on curation, trends and expert opinions. GLOSSYBOX offers the element of surprise and many times we find that women discover products they would never have tried through our boxes, which subsequently become their new favorite.

Subscription services have made it easier for consumers to learn about new products. Do you think brick and mortar retailers have changed their ways to compete?

Yes. We live in the ‘omni-channel’ generation. Beauty retailers are absolutely upping their game and incorporating elements of digital convenience and personalization into their brick and mortar locations. Things like Beacon Technology, paperless checkout, digitized and adaptable in-store displays and even augmented realities, are becoming more and more mainstream.

Similarly, GLOSSYBOX is a platform for retailers to take their marketing strategies to the next level. We’ve worked with online players like Net-a-Porter as well as traditional retailers like Bergdorf Goodman. Through these partnerships we successfully brought to life their beauty floors, and helped them create a campaign to utilize sampling and to drive foot traffic or online clicks.

Where do you see the subscription box service industry going in the next 5 years? In the next 10 years?

Just like any business, subscription services will evolve to meet customer demands. Only those players who have truely defined themselves in the market will survive. We think the future of subscriptions will be about crossing platforms, for example making a certain look from a movie come to life with customers having the ability to buy it straight through their televisions or perhaps tying the box to art installations. This involves deepening technology to find the most innovative ways to reach consumers.

Here at GLOSSYBOX we’re always looking to do things that haven’t been done. While the subscription model will be far from new by then, everything we’re working on at GLOSSYBOX will always continue to be.

What are the attributes of an ideal product for GLOSSYBOX?

GLOSSYBOX is a prestige player. We only work with luxury or professional brands like Estée Lauder and Sisley, for example. Secondly, size is extremely important! We don’t include vials, packettes or any product that we deem too small or not impactful. At the core of our business model, the customer has to fall in love with the product, experience the results, and then miss it when it’s gone. To that end, any product we include in any GLOSSYBOX is travel sized or full sized. We also love having a well-balanced box composition and a mix of well-known brands such as Bulgari and Lancôme as well as new and emerging brands that our experts discover, which includes Lauren B. and Kora Organics.

The ideal brand for us is high performing, well-packaged with artful design, and has a unique story. We love launching new products, as well as introducing global products to US consumers, and even bringing hero products from storied brands to the forefront. Above all, the most important thing is the customer experience and our team of in-house experts has vetted every product we include in our boxes.

What makes participating in a subscription box a more powerful marketing tool than other more traditional options?

When brands partner with GLOSSYBOX they are investing in proactive marketing. Not only are they letting their products speak for themselves by allowing women to directly try and fall in love with them, but they are also getting track-able results and valuable customer feedback. In addition, brands gain access to our network of influencers and bloggers who share content with their millions of followers. If a product is well liked or buzzed about it can become a top seller as is evidenced by our September partnership with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, whose Black Dahlia Lip Tar sold out weeks after being featured in our GLOSSYBOX.

What kind of customer insights can vendors gain access to by partnering with GLOSSYBOX or any other subscription service?

For any brand that partners with GLOSSYBOX we create a very in-depth feedback report from those subscribers who received the product. The questions we ask relate to brand awareness, product satisfaction, purchase intention and customer demographics. We also offer brands the chance to include their own questions, which gives them valuable insight regarding specific strategies or marketing goals. All in all, GLOSSYBOX is an extremely flexible partner and all campaigns we build are created with our partner’s goals in mind; everything from driving sales, growing social media or executing a product launch.