Out of the box

IT SEEMS like a no-brainer. Man has needs (or wants). Man is lazy. Subscription retail programmes deliver those needs (and wants) to Man's doorstep on a regular basis - all at the click of a mouse. Man is happy. Pioneered by four-year-old American start-up Birchbox, subscription box services are now dime-a-dozen in the United States and Europe - and the innovative retail format is fast becoming a way of life here too, with more than 10 of such new services launched in the first eight months of this year, by everyone from local actresses to mum-preneurs and former bankers.

The subscription retail model works like this: buyers commit to a one-month, three-month, six-month or an annual subscription for a box containing typically four to eight items curated according to a theme to be mailed to them on a monthly basis.

The items can be trial-sized samples obtained for free from brands who want to market a new product to a niche group of customers, or travel and full-sized products purchased by the box curators, who typically also run e-commerce stores for repeat orders.