Online shoppers embrace subscription services

Whether it’s a preference for online browsing, time constraints or anticipating a package’s arrival, many people embrace a “personally curated,” often subscription-based shopping service.

“It’s like getting a little present in the mail every month,” Linda Brasile says of her regular Stitch Fix deliveries.

Stitch Fix is a clothing styling service for men, women and children.

Customers submit preference profiles, let stylists choose their “fix” — five pieces of apparel, accessories or footwear — and pay a $20 styling fee per shipment. They can keep what they like, with the $20 fee credited toward a purchase, and return the rest at no cost, according to its website.

Brasile and her sister, Barb Twaddle, both enjoy shopping. Each has tried a few of the numerous online subscription services, as have several family members.

Brasile, 56, of Derry Township, found her first shipment disappointing and returned it.

“The second one, I kept everything,” she says.

A Stitch Fix spokeswoman declined to comment for this article.

Convenience, cost factors

Brasile says she can choose the frequency of shipments. She likes the styling cards that suggest ways of wearing the items in each package. She gets a 25% discount if she elects to keep all five items in a shipment.

Her December shipment of shoes, jeans, a cardigan and two blouses totaled $183.

“I like things I can dress up or down,” says Brasile, finance administrator at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity .

Twaddle, 44, of Unity subscribes to Wantable, and typically receives seven items per box quarterly.

Wantable did not return a request for comment.

“I ask for a mix of dressy tops and casual,” she says.

Much of what she keeps she wears on the job as manager of Run Away Travel Inc., also based at the airport.

She also receives a 25% discount if she keeps at least five items.

What’s the benefit of buying clothing without first touching or trying it on? The sisters say they receive brands through the online services they can’t find locally.

Her daughter, Reagan, 15, enjoys the subscription service Coastal Company. “She loves the beach,” Twaddle says.

Quarterly shipments can include perfume, clothing, beach towels, candles and coasters, and start at $59.

Twaddle also tried Birchbox, a monthly selection of beauty samples for $15 or under.

“I found my moisturizer and face wash that way,” she says

A request for comment from Birchbox was met with a referral to a blog post from co-founder Katia Beauchamp.

Subscribing to excitement and ease

Audrey Guskey, a Duquesne University marketing professor and consumer trends expert, is familiar with the subscription service trend.

“There are lots of reasons for (its popularity). People love that surprise. Believe it or not, people love getting mail — this is not junk mail,” she says.

Demographics for typical subscription services show customers tend to be female, college-educated, with household incomes of $100,000 or more and mothers of preschoolers, Guskey says.

“They don’t have time to shop. People like the convenience and they look for variety,” she adds.

Her daughter formerly subscribed to a skin care service.

“She never knew what she was getting. She might like five (products), give me five and donate five,” Guskey says.

Purchasing by the package

Additional clothing delivery options (not all subscription) include Trunkclub.com, a Nordstrom company; Fabletics.com, women’s activewear, and Amazon’s Prime Wardrobe.

Subscriptions abound for nearly any interest or hobby, from clothing to produce, ready-to-prepare meals (Blue Apron, Hello Fresh) to cocktail ingredients (Shaker and Spoon).

Little one in the family? Lovevery describes its service as providing “science-backed” toys to help young children learn.

Little Passports offers regular mail arrivals to keep preschoolers through preteens busy with activities focused on global learning.

If fur babies are part of your household, you can arrange for regular treat and toy deliveries at services like Bark Box or Kit Nip Box.

Subscription services that let customers test drive beauty products in private include Allure Beauty Box and Ipsy, some tailored just for men, including from Birchbox.

For budget shoppers, Walmart offers a quarterly beauty box subscription, with seasonal samples and tips on products the superstore sells for a $5 shipping fee.

Dear Holmes offers subscribers the chance to solve “Victorian mysteries” via snail mail.

Weekly reproductions of historical letters from figures like Thomas Jefferson, Clara Barton and George S. Patton are promised via letterjoy.com.

Pros and cons

Guskey says shoppers fall into two categories — “replenishing,” for instance subscribing to Dollar Shave Club, and “inspirational,” people who like to cook, enjoy cosmetics or are into self-improvement.

“Customers like the personal customization. That’s rooted in what we call marketing psychographics. We also call it mass customization. You believe it’s just for you,” she says.

As with any financial commitment, Guskey notes a few caveats.

Common with any shopping service, customers can hit “saturation level” after a few months.

And before locking — or “clicking” — themselves in to a subscription, buyers should familiarize themselves with the cancellation policies, she says.