10 Profitable Subscription Business Ideas

12 min read

The opportunities are endless when it comes to subscription businesses. This market is booming, with entrepreneurs starting to notice the profitable nature of these kinds of businesses. Revenue among subscription businesses grew about five times faster than in-person sales between January 2012 through June 2019 in the U.S., making it a very eye-catching opportunity for new merchants.

Whether you are already a business owner or looking to start one, you are likely to benefit from this booming market. You can choose to create a subscription-based business out of pretty much anything. The important thing is to choose something that aligns with your interests and audience.

It is easier than ever to start your own business with the help of an ecommerce site like Ecwid. Through Ecwid, you can create a website where your consumers can learn more about your business and use secure and recurring payment methods to purchase products. At Ecwid, we offer a free plan to all of our members and provide resources to help along the way, helping you make the best out of your new journey.

If you are ready to start today but not sure what your options are, we can help. We have created a list of some of the best subscription business ideas out there to help you decide. Keep in mind, these are just suggestions; in the end, it’s up to you what to sell.

Meal Plan Subscription Business

With profit margins much higher than those of restaurants, subscription-based meal prep delivery has gained incredible popularity over the years. Ordering from meal prep sites saves people time grocery shopping, but also saves costs accrued from eating out. Meal-kits are a convenient way for those who seek to continually have access to homemade food, so they can avoid eating out, save money, and eat healthier.

Most consumers prefer a subscription system for this kind of service. With a subscription, they don’t have to worry about ordering and paying for food constantly, or forgetting to order a meal on time.

Once you’ve chosen your niche and found a reliable way to source your ingredients, it is fairly easy to start your own meal prep business. You can check out this guide we put together to help you understand more about selling food online.

For example, Klean sells different types of meal plans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Customers can choose different subscription periods, from weekly to monthly deliveries.

Flowers

This subscription business idea is perfect for anyone with a green thumb. You can sell subscriptions for fresh-cut flowers that will be delivered to your customer’s door on a regular basis.

For example, you can offer a subscription that delivers a bouquet of flowers once a week, month, or season directly to your customers. You can also offer different subscription levels or let customers buy a flower subscription as a gift.

Flora Flower Cart is the perfect example: they sell bouquet subscriptions to keep their customers’ houses beautiful for longer.

Organic and Healthy Food Subscription Plan

If given the choice and time, most people prefer to eat organic. As more consumers transition to mindful eating and healthier lifestyle habits, healthy food will become more popular.

However, most people dislike the hassle that comes with eating organic. It is not easy to find local farms or farmers’ markets if you live in a big city, and oftentimes, supermarket organic food can be expensive.

Starting a subscription-based business that provides consumers with a monthly box of organic and healthy goods is a great solution to a common problem. This is the kind of subscription plan many are willing to support long-term.

You’ll need to build a reliable network of suppliers and think of good ways to keep the products fresh during the delivery time. Once you develop the right marketing strategy and build your customer base, the business should practically run itself.

For example, The Remedy Kitchen sells meal prep subscriptions for health-conscious customers. Their food doesn’t contain gluten, dairy, wheat, or refined sugar.

Vitamins Subscription

You can sell vitamins throughout the year because people will always have a need for them. Personalized vitamin boxes have become increasingly popular as more people have access to research about their bodies’ specific needs.

You can choose to create a vitamin subscription box where buyers receive a monthly delivery of all of the vitamins they need. You’ll want to create a sort of questionnaire on your website to provide shoppers with a unique experience and find out exactly what their needs are.

The sale of online supplements has doubled in the past few years. Now, with consumers having everything delivered to their doors, this is undeniably a great subscription business idea.

Coffee Subscription Box

There is undeniable consumer demand for coffee worldwide, making it a great market for new entrepreneurs to join. Coffee is one of the most popular products to sell on a subscription basis, making it easier to sell online. It is easy to find coffee suppliers, and the product is relatively hardy during shipping.

Given the popularity of coffee, you’d probably want to stand out by providing consumers high-quality coffee at reasonable prices. You can also choose from a variety of options, including low acid coffee, dark roast, French vanilla, dark roast, etc.

You can also make a gift basket coffee subscription, which can be incredibly popular. You can create a coffee basket containing different coffee roasts and flavors that can be gifted during special occasions. This creates a great business opportunity during the holidays.

With the right dedication, you will see incredible results from this type of online business.

For example, Trade sells roasted beans as a monthly subscription service. To personalize shopper’s experience, Trade offers customers to take the quiz to find their perfect blend.

Essential Oils Subscription Business

The production or selling of essential oils can be a very lucrative business idea. This business attracts long-term customers that will support you as long as your products align with their expectations.

Most people rely on essential oils for a variety of reasons, including cleaning, wound treatment, cough suppressants, headaches, and many other things.

Because you can use essential oils for many different tasks, consumers often go through them quickly. People are willing to get subscriptions in order to minimize costs and the trouble of constantly buying new oils.

The key is to remain in contact with your customers, whether it is through a newsletter or promotion code emails, so they know to choose you. You can take a look at our quick guide to sending ecommerce newsletters to learn more about your options.

The options are endless when it comes to the business of essential oils. By choosing to sell high-quality oils not easily found elsewhere, you can quickly get ahead of the competition.

Natural Deodorant Subscription

With a deodorant subscription plan, customers will love receiving their favorite natural deodorant before they even need it. This is a great business idea that will allow members to constantly receive a refill of their deodorant, alongside a few other hygiene products of choice delivered to their doorstep.

For example, Myro’s customers can subscribe to receiving natural deodorant kits in eco-friendly packaging.

Cleaning Products Subscription Box

As more people choose to have most of their necessary household items delivered to their door, house cleaning product subscriptions continue to grow in popularity. You can choose to offer your customer a monthly or weekly box containing all of the items necessary to keep their homes clean at a price lower than if they were to buy each item individually.

This subscription business idea continues to be valued by many customers because of its convenience and affordability.

You can also choose to offer members the alternative to add more natural and less toxic cleaning products to their monthly boxes. Natural cleaning products are not always easy to come by, and providing your customers with this option can be a great way to set you apart from the competition.

Pet Necessities

People love exotic and fun treats for their pets, and constantly want to spoil them. With a subscription, they can receive a fun box containing pets’ essential items on a regular basis.

By selling subscription pet boxes, you can tap into the market of pet care and receive consistent payment. You can choose to offer pet owners the option to fill their monthly delivery with a selection of fun toys and treats, grooming products, etc. The potential for this business is limitless, as is people’s love for their animals.

For example, PupPlanet sells treats for dogs and offers their customers differently-themed monthly subscription boxes.

Digital Products

If you’re a content creator of any kind, this option might be especially beneficial for you. Subscription-based digital products can be a great way to make money. Like if you’re a photographer, you can sell your photos as phone backgrounds or illustrations for blogs.

This especially works if you have expertise in a particular subject. Using subscriptions, you can create a digital product and sell packages to customers to enjoy different pieces over time. For example, you can sell access to a monthly newsletter with your articles, tips, reviews, or industry news.

Start Your Subscription Business

The bottom line is this: you can choose to start a subscription business from almost anything. This is a booming market that continues to prove effective and convenient. With the use of secure and efficient recurring payment tools offered through Ecwid, you can start today with nothing to lose.

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Product Ideas

Mar 18, 2022

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.