Subscription Economy News: Week of 04/06/2020

Every week, we bring you the top stories and analyses from the global Subscription Economy.

What Subscription Businesses Know About Keeping Customers Through a Crisis

Excerpts from an article by Robbie Kellman Baxter on Marker

Subscriptions have become a ubiquitous part of the consumer landscape. Now, the pandemic is testing how resilient the subscription business model really is — and signs look promising.

Food subscriptions from Blue Apron to artisanal memberships like Cowgirl Creamery’s “Cheese of the Month” club, are suddenly thriving. Subscriptions for news, entertainment, education, and software are dealing with unprecedented demand.

In a nutshell: If it’s a membership business that can deliver something useful or delightful to someone’s door or via your computer, that’s a very good business to be in right now.

For more, read the full article on Marker and read Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo’s article on the importance of doubling down on customer relationships during this challenging time. 

Google Stadia Free Starting Today, Pro Subscription Free for Two Months

Excerpts from an article by Jonathon Dornbush on IGN

Google has announced that, starting today and rolling out over the next 48 hours, Stadia is now free to use in all 14 countries where the games streaming service is supported, so long as users have a Gmail account.

The Pro subscription tier allows players claim free games for their Stadia library on a regular basis, which they will have access to so long as that subscription is held, similar to a PlayStation Plus subscription.

Normally, Stadia Pro will also allow users to play games in up to 4K/60fps/HDR format, but Google has also announced today that, in light of the current coronavirus pandemic and the increased strain on internet usage, Google is developing the default screen resolution for all players to be 1080p, though this change is not yet live.

For more, read the full article on IGN and learn how subscriptions are fueling the gaming sector.

Skylar’s fragrance subscription shows strong retention during coronavirus

Excerpts from an article by Emma Sandler on Glossy

It’s been one year since clean fragrance brand Skylar launched a monthly fragrance subscription program called Scent Club, marking a shift in the brand’s e-commerce strategy.

Today, Scent Club has over 10,000 subscribers and the club boasts approximately an 85% month-over-month retention rate, said Cat Chen, Skylar founder and CEO. The retention has held steady as of April 1, despite coronavirus.

“I think it gives people a sense of normalcy,” said Chen. “We have also heard [from customers] that fragrance serves to uplift people.”

For more,  read the full article on Glossy.

For more Subscription Economy resources and events, head to www.subscribed.com and subscribe to Zuora CEO Tien Tzuo’s Subscribed Weekly newsletter, coming to your inbox every Saturday. 

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