Weekly news roundup
1. Snusbolaget’s subscription service will deliver snuff to the Stockholm Archipelago – Press Release
Snusbolaget, a Swedish company delivering snuff via a subscription service, has 280.000 customers per year. This summer, the Stockholm Archipelago, with over 30.000 islands and islets, will be included in the delivery zone.
“[…] the archipelago today has about 10,000 permanent residents. Despite this, there are only a few postal agents in the area, and most e-commerce companies lack delivery solutions for the archipelago.”
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2. American startup offers subscription service for EV charging – Automotive News
SparkCharge, an American mobile EV charging startup that recently received a million-dollar investment deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban, has launched a subscription service that will deliver charging to places such as parking lots, workplaces and homes for $25 per month.
“If you can remove the where, when and how out of EV charging, and can remove that pain point, then you can actually help grow the electric vehicle market at a much faster rate. It’s Uber meets electric vehicle charging.”
3. Apple launches podcast subscriptions worldwide, after a delay – Variety
The tech giant recently launched Apple Podcasts Subscriptions to customers worldwide, available for thousands of participating shows, offering a new way for creators and media companies to monetize their podcasts.
“Pricing for each subscription is set by publishers and creators, with a minimum price of 49 cents per month. The Apple Podcasters Program, which includes tools needed to offer premium subscriptions, costs $19.99 per year. Perks for subscribers, besides no ads, may also include early access to new episodes and exclusive content.”
4. The subscription box that teaches kids to do good – New York Times
With $1.25 million in financing, Alltruists, a subscription service aimed at 4-12 year-olds that includes things such as booklets, activity and volunteer projects connected to one of the world’s big problems, is launching this month in the U.S.
“The first box she’s sending out is about homelessness and instructs kids to glue together a house of mini cinder blocks to help them understand how many people live. Then they make a beaded keychain to send to a family who’s getting a new house, partly thanks to the $5 donation voucher, included in the box […]”
5. California: Nugg Club expands its monthly cannabis subscription service – Press Release
Nugg Club, the first American cannabis subscription box featuring full-sized products. curated and personalized to each customer, has announced that its subscription service is expanding to consumers in select cities near San Francisco
“Nugg Club has delivered nearly 75,000 monthly boxes at just $99 each to consumers across Los Angeles and Orange County since 2020 and recently expanded into the Inland Empire region earlier this year. Each box contains five to seven premium cannabis products […]”
Weekly analysis roundup
1. Catch your customers’ attention: The subscription economy is booming – Resumé
There is no doubt that the subscription model is exploding. The tricky thing is to maximize the attractiveness of the offer, writes Swedish communications site Resumé in a guide.
“[Subscriptions] will drive business forward. But that does not necessarily mean that there will be more competitors. How many apps can a person manage to stream from? Five? 12? No – the future will rather be about complementaries.”
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2. Theaters or HBO Max? Warner Brothers’ movie plans take shape – Subscribed
Many people in the industry, as well as Warner Bros. insiders, worried that a studio that had made talent relationships its signature for decades had lost its way by by announcing its entire 2021 film lineup would be available on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day in the U.S., where theaters were hobbled by the coronavirus. Now, a clearer strategy is taking shape, writes Subscribed.
“When streamers were starting … the common wisdom was, ‘series drive subscription; movies reduce churn. Movies weren’t really the drivers of getting people to sign on. And I think now, the perception with film on these streaming services is that they’re punching above their weight in sign-ups.”
3. Can a subscription model fix primary care in the U.S.? – Washington Post
Medical subscriptions, a $199 million CEO payday and the race to fix primary care in the U.S. One Medical is betting big that a subscription model can fix primary care. But the firm faces competition from CVS, Target and large hospital systems.
“The big bet of One Medical and companies like it is that greater spending on primary care will fatten their bottom lines while reducing overall health costs for their clients.”
