Subscription Economy News: Week of 12/16/2019

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

CES 2020: All the trends we expect to see in subscriptions and services

Excerpts from an article by Alison DeNisco Rayome on Cnet.com

Services ranging from TV streaming to clothing boxes to meal kits to toothbrushes have become part of our daily lives, and these subscriptions are expected to take center stage this year among the tech companies showcasing their innovations at CES 2020. Here are services trends and themes you can expect to see at CES 2020: Streaming services, health and wellness subscriptions (including a panel discussion called the Peloton Factor) and smart technology for families and kids such as digital learning services and connected products for new parents.

Read the full article on Cnet.com. And join Zuora, IBM, and Toyota at the top of the Palms for Subscribed @ CES to learn how launching subscription services can provide new sources of value for your customers and new revenue for your business.

Matty O’Reilly’s restaurant group unveils $99/month subscription dining plan

Excerpts from an article by James Norton in The Growler
Why pay a bunch of checks at your favorite restaurants when you could just pay a single subscription fee, instead?

Restaurateur Matty O’Reilly debuted this week a novel subscription model of dining which would let subscribers eat as much as one entree per day at any of his restaurants for a monthly cost of $99, or a discounted prepaid annual cost of $1,000.

The subscription covers all four of the restaurants overseen by O’Reilly: Bar Brigade and Foxtrot Burger Spot in St. Paul, Sandy’s Tavern in Richfield, and Republic in Minneapolis.

The subscription doesn’t include tax, beverages, or gratuity, and O’Reilly says that he hopes it will position his restaurants for the future of a changing business marketplace increasingly crowded with services like Grubhub and Bite Squad.

And while customers might find a subscription restaurant service to be novel, O’Reilly contends that he’s just adapting his business to the current era. “Recurring revenue models are actually quite common and mainstream today,” he says. “Netflix, every gym and yoga club, wine clubs, hundreds of businesses use this model.”

Read the full article in The Growler

Lime Launches Weekly Scooter Subscription for Unlimited Unlocks

Excerpts from an article by Catie Keck on Gizmodo

Lime is rolling out a weekly service that’ll likely help heavy users save a couple of bucks in unlock fees.

The company announced the rollout of the new LimePass weekly subscription service Tuesday, adding that Lime users will be able to use it in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand beginning today and in other international markets early next month.

The service works by offering users unlimited free scooter unlocks for both Lime’s scooters and e-bikes, though users will still have to pay the per-minute rate on trips. Those unlock fees can add up for frequent users, though, as Lime said unlocks typically run users $1 per ride. In other words, the service is likely to benefit heavy users most, as the company noted.

“The subscription service is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing number of micromobility riders, simplifying commutes and rewarding those who depend on electric scooters and bikes for their day-to-day transportation needs,” Lime said in a blog post about the launch.

For more, read the full article on Gizmodo

Apple Arcade adds new annual $49.99 subscription option

Excerpts from an article by Chaim Gartenberg on The Verge

Apple Arcade is adding an annual subscription option for $49.99 per year, joining the existing $4.99 monthly subscription option for the gaming service.

The annual option (which costs $59.99 per year in Canada, £49.99 per year in the UK, and €49.99 per year in Europe) effectively gives customers two free months of Apple Arcade by offering a full year of access to the service for the price of 10 months. Offering a discounted annual price is common among nearly every other subscription service on the internet — including Apple’s own Music and TV Plus services — so it’s not surprising to see Apple add it to Arcade, too.

For more, read the full article on The Verge.

Coca-Cola launches $10/month subscription service

Excerpts from an article by Daniella Genovese on Fox Business

Coca-Cola is giving a limited number of fans a sweet taste of 2020 with exclusive access to all-new beverages – some of which haven’t hit the shelves yet.

The company, which is seen as a dominant player in the soft-drink market, launched its Coca-Cola Insiders Club Monday in which the first 1,000 “insiders” who signed up will get the first taste of some 20-plus new beverages the company plans to release in early 2020.

“The pilot program was inspired by the growth of the e-commerce subscription market, which has more than doubled annually over the last five years based on the popularity of meal kits and curated collections of everything from razors to pet supplies to makeup,” the company wrote.

For more, read the full article on Fox Business.

And for more Subscription Economy resources and events, head to www.subscribed.com

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