They say sharing is caring, and that’s apparently continues to be true when it comes to login information for streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and other services. In fact, a new report suggests that more than one-fifth of young adults borrow passwords to watch their favorite shows on the services. [More]
subscriptions
New York Times All Access Subscriptions Now Come With Spotify
By 2.9.17
With so many sites offering news for free, news sources that charge for access are having to get clever about how to convince people to pay for news. To that end, the New York Times is now hoping that it can get people to subscribe to its $5/week All Access service by throwing Spotify Premium into the mix. [More]
10 Things You Should Consider Before Paying For Any Retail Membership
By 12.2.16
Memberships, once the exclusive domain of warehouse clubs like Costco and BJ’s, are officially hot right now. From Amazon Prime and Walmart ShippingPass to subscription boxes (like Birchbox) and membership programs from retailers including Bed Bath & Beyond and Restoration Hardware, companies aren’t content until they’ve turned occasional shoppers into loyal members. But should you join? Will it be worth the money? How will you know if a membership program is right for you? We break it down. [More]
What Can I Do If I Keep Getting Auto-Billed For A Thing I Don’t Want?
By 9.12.16
Subscriptions and recurring payments are the hot thing these days. From political donations to arts patronage, from subscription boxes to student loans, everyone wants a scheduled monthly slice of your money. And that’s all well and good, as long as you actually want what they’re selling. But what happens if you change your mind? [More]
Birchbox Subscribers Are Upset About Changes To Review Points Program
By 6.15.16
The appeal of the subscription box Birchbox isn’t just getting a box full of personal-care goodies in the mail every month: it’s also reviewing the samples that you receive to earn points toward buying full-size versions of those goodies. Now a change to that system is proving very controversial, and some customers want to quit the service because of it. [More]
Popularity Of Subscription Boxes Means Rethinking How E-Commerce Logistics Work
By 5.17.16
Subscription boxes are a hot retail category, but the business has a problem, especially when it comes to beauty product boxes. While other companies in e-commerce are super-focused on efficiency and logistics, boxes that change their inventory every month and often let users add on to or customize their selections are a logistical nightmare and often have to be hand-packed. [More]
Would You Buy A Free Shipping Subscription Only For Lands’ End?
By 5.4.16
Consumers really love Amazon Prime, a subscription service that now includes a variety of other perks, but began as a humble program that got subscribers free 2-day shipping. Now other retailers have started to wonder whether they can get customers to pay up for free shipping programs with additional perks. The latest retailer to try this is Lands’ End, which has introduced their program along with a more expensive and more stylish collection of clothing. [More]
Find A Newspaper Subscription Renewal Notice In The Mail? It Might Be Fake
By 5.3.16
Two years ago, newspapers began warning consumers that subscription renewal notices, which ask for your credit card and personal information, may look legitimate, but are more than likely a ploy by unscrupulous companies to get their hands on your money. Today, the Federal Trade Commission took a step to rein in this scheme by suing the operators of dozens of interrelated companies that send out such notices. [More]
NatureBox Expands From Podcast Ads To Store Shelves At Target
By 4.26.16
NatureBox, a subscription box offering curated selections of healthy(ish) snacks, is a company that you may not be familiar with…unless you’re a fan of podcasts, in which case you’re probably tired of hearing about NatureBox, since they’re a frequent advertiser in that medium. Now the company is reaching out to the rest of the population in a partnership with Target, putting its snacks on store shelves. [More]
Yes, Real-Life Fabletics Stores Just Exist To Sell More ‘VIP Memberships’
By 2.12.16
People love to get deals, and we love to feel like we’re part of a special club. That’s why Fabletics, a sort of Columbia House for sports bras, is apparently succeeding in its expansion into real-life retail, and plans to open as many as 100 new stores. [More]
Which Beauty Subscription Boxes Are Actually Worth The Monthly Fee?
By 4.23.15 — Updated: 5.23.17
Monthly subscription boxes are currently a hot category in retail: vendors exist that can send you curated selections of everything from pet treats to razors to healthy snacks to butt wipes. One popular subcategory of these boxes are beauty sample boxes, which send you trial-size versions of beauty products to enjoy, and perhaps buy full-sized versions later on. Beauty brands and consumers both love these boxes…but which ones offer the best value for your subscription fee? [More]
Newspaper Tries To Cancel Blizzard With Fun Headline Graphic, Just Confuses Subscribers
By 2.16.15
On the one hand, is it fun to try to spice up the front page of a newspaper? I’ll leave that to the design experts, but sure, whatever floats your boat. However on the other hand, using a big red CANCELLED graphic over a headline about a blizzard is awfully confusing. Just ask the readers of the Sun Journal in Lewiston, ME. [More]
Newegg Wants You To Subscribe To Buy Vitamins And Toner Cartridges
By 10.22.14
You may think of Newegg as a retailer for electronics, but they sell a huge variety of items, from copy paper to pet supplies. Some of these items are useful to have a standing order for, and Newegg is happy to oblige with their new service: Newegg Subscription. This idea may sound a bit familiar. [More]
Would You Pay $45 Per Month For Unlimited Coffee?
By 4.16.14
How much would you pay per month for an unlimited coffee pass? If you drink coffee daily and don’t brew it at home, that could become a pricey addiction. Yet CUPS, an app out of Israel, recently expanded to this country. Its premise is simple: subscribe and get discounted or even unlimited coffee from independent coffee shops for a discounted price. [More]
The New Yorker Is Really, Really Sure You Won’t Miss Any Issues
By 11.19.13
In most of the magazine business, subscribers equal advertising dollars. It’s not the subscription fees that are important, but being able to guarantee a certain number of eyeballs on your pages for the foreseeable future. This leads to some ridiculous situations, like the New Yorker subscriber who received an urgent renewal notice because his subscription is expiring four years from now. [More]
The Denver Post Really Doesn’t Want To Entice Long-Term Subscribers
By 6.18.12
The amount of money newspapers and magazines charge to advertisers is closely tied to their reader base. That’s why print media will often give discounts to people willing to subscribe for longer periods of time. But not the Denver Post, which wants you to pay significantly more per week if you go with the lengthier subscription. [More]
Apple No Longer Requires In-App Subscriptions To Be Best Available Deals
By 6.10.11
Apple has tinkered with its in-app subscription purchases policies, making things more flexible for publishers and possibly more difficult for consumers. Previously, Apple required publishers to charge their lowest prices for subscriptions purchased within apps, but now Apple has dropped pricing restrictions. [More]
80% Of AOL's Revenue Is Subscribers, 75% Of Whom Don't Need It
By 1.21.11
A New Yorker profile this week details how 80% of AOL’s revenue comes from subscriptions, and, according to an ex-AOL exec, 75% of those users are people who subscribe to the dial-up service and don’t need. Basically we’re talking about folks who have another kind of ISP and don’t realize that you don’t need to pay AOL anymore if you’re just using it for email. The group can be further divided into two sub-groups, the old, and the lazy. Here’s a step-by-step process for canceling AOL and saving some cash while still keeping access to your AOL email account. [More]
