Fulfilment Retail

81% of UK households are signed up to subscription services

February 2022

According to analysis from Whistl the UK’s leading logistics specialists in e-fulfilment, mail and parcels 81% of UK households are signed up to at least one subscription service, a significant rise from 65% in the previous year.

This growth has created a market worth £395m annually and is expected to surpass £1.8bn by 2025 due to an expected annual growth rate of 18.9%. The average monthly spend of households on subscription boxes has risen to £52 driven by higher value products and multiple subscriptions.

A positive trend in the past four years has been the length of time customers are using the service rising from 5.6 to 9 months over the past four years.

Whistl has found that the most important subscription boxes in 2021 are:

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The company also established that the consumer motivations for signing up were:

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Companies across all industries are making subscriptions a key part of their business strategy with 67% of UK retailers planning to launch a new subscription service.

Advancements in technology, exposure to social media and, in more recent years, the pandemic and lockdowns have together fueled the massive growth in the range of subscription services resulting in a surge of boxes landing on our doorsteps.

When looking to scale your subscription business, it’s critical to ensure you are working with the most appropriate partners to suit your business model and long term goals.

At the Whistl Group, we offer a unique portfolio of solutions to support the end-to-end logistics process, helping with all aspects of the customer journey including the delivery management of orders, complete fulfilment solutions and even ongoing customer service.

Melanie Darvall | Director Marketing Communications Whistl