Monthly subscription boxes now run the gamut

Jessie Neff opens a wrapped item in her September package from Birchbox, an online company that clients subscribe to receive a personalized box of sample-size beauty products.

The idea of paying a monthly fee for a personalized product began at least four years ago, with items geared toward women. Now, monthly subscription boxes for almost all items imaginable have sprung up.

One of the first subscription box companies was shoe company Shoedazzle. The concept behind Shoedazzle was giving every woman a personal “stylist” by having members take a style quiz that would generate a different style of shoe every month.

Shoedazzle CEO Brian Lee told Paste BN that his business model was inspired by his wife’s preference to go to high-end boutiques to purchase shoes.

When Lee asked her why she didn’t just go to a regular store to buy more affordable shoes, his wife replied it was because the stylists at boutiques gave her personalized attention and service.

The idea of personalization and convenience is key to many subscription box companies.

Birchbox was also an early standout. Similar to Shoedazzle, Birchbox determines what it gives its subscribers based on their preferences. The company focuses mainly on beauty products and gives its subscribers handpicked beauty samples for $10 a month.

There are multiple subscription box companies for shoes, clothing, jewelry and home products. Some products can get very personal -- such as monthly tampon delivery for women.

Jasmine Hickman, a sophomore at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., said she has considered participating in monthly subscription box offfers after seeing a commercial for JustFab, another shoe and handbag company. The company has an offer that allows new members to purchase two items for $39.95, the usual price of one item.

“I think the appeal is every female wants to wear a stylish heel but doesn't want to pay high prices," Hickman said. "With sites like JustFab, you could buy two pairs of shoe for the price of one, and what female can resist that?”

Newer subscription box companies have catered to a variety of hobbies.

Avid crafters can get boxes with materials for a knitting project delivered monthly. Health and wellness subscription boxes have launched and offer products like juices, workout DVDs and natural beauty products.

Klutch Club features monthly health product boxes and organizes them by theme. For February, the theme was “Boosting Your Immune System,” and the box included green tea and a probiotic cleansing diet immunity guide.

But monthly subscription boxes aren’t just targeted for women.

Mantry personalizes men’s options for food and delivers them to their doorstep. For $75 a month, subscribers get six full-sized American artisan food products. The food includes barbeque sauce crafted in Alabama and bison jerky from Montana, according to their website.

For gamers, there’s Loot Crate, which delivers six to nine items, including snacks and game-related products, for $13.37 plus $6 shipping per month.

Another men-targeted company is The Dollar Shave Club, a company that aims to help men who forget to buy their razor blades. Their lowest-priced blade starts at $1 a month plus shipping.

However, monthly subscription boxes aren’t appealing to everyone.

Denis Dodson, a senior at the University of Maryland, said the Dollar Shave Club seemed “gimmicky and a waste of money.” He wouldn’t pay a monthly subscription for food either, but would consider buying medical products if a company were to offer that service.

There are also monthly subscription services for dog owners, art and book lovers. The Mystery Tackle Box delivers boxes of lures for those who enjoy fishing -- particularly bass angling.

With the array of choices available, a website dedicated to reviewing subscription boxes started last year. The site organizes their subscription box reviews in more than a dozen categories, from sports subscription boxes to eco-friendly subscription boxes.

Are you a monthly subscription box believer? If so, which services do you subscribe to?

Mary Tablante is a Spring 2013 Paste BN Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.

This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.