Copy the link to a markdown format of this article for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or your favorite AI.
It was once unusual for ecommerce stores to offer subscriptions, but in recent years, it has become a key revenue generator for small ecommerce businesses and multinational giants alike. The subscription economy has grown 435% over the last decade, and will reach $1.5 trillion in 2025.
The prevalence of the subscription model changed consumer expectations. Many actively seek subscription options for products they use regularly and brands they admire. They understand the mutual benefits to the consumer and the retailer. The consumer gets convenience and a discount. The retailer gets predictable sales and longer-lasting relationships.
In this article, we’ll explore how WooCommerce store owners can make the most of the subscription opportunity. We’ll see why subscriptions work for retailers, how to pick a subscription model, and tools that simplify subscriptions on WooCommerce.
Before we detail the most common subscription strategies, let’s clarify why it’s worth offering subscriptions to your customers.
In short, subscriptions are a powerful way to build predictability into your business model.
There are several subscription models, and they suit different product categories. Understanding the three main types and when to use them will help you choose the right approach for your inventory and customer needs.
Replenishment subscriptions are for customers who subscribe to receive consumable products on a predictable schedule. Razorblades are one of the most successful examples of the replenishment subscription business model. Companies like Dollar Shave Club are also a masterclass in subscription marketing.
This type of subscription is best for consumable products with predictable use rates. In addition to razors, examples include coffee, vitamins, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and diapers.
As a store owner, you benefit from great retention, predictable inventory needs, and lower churn. Replenishment is also the easiest subscription model to implement. Aside from occasional upgrades, you know what you’re sending, where to source it, and how much you’ll need.
This type of subscription sends customers a curated selection of products. They’re typically in the same product category, but the individual products vary by type and brand. The draw for customers is getting something new and perhaps surprising every month or quarter.
They value experiencing a range of products without having to research and source them. They rely on your expertise to select worthwhile products, and that expertise can command premium prices for luxury goods.
On the downside, discovery box subscriptions are logistically complex. You have to source and buy new and interesting products. Inventory management is more complicated than with replenishment subscriptions. Customer churn is likely to be higher because this is a taste-driven business model; your selections have to resonate with customer preferences.
Ecommerce membership subscriptions give customers ongoing access to benefits or perks. For example, they may pay a monthly fee to get exclusive products, discounts, or early access. The focus here is on providing exclusive opportunities to loyal customers who are willing to pay a regular fee for the privilege.
Access subscriptions aren’t suitable for all types of ecommerce stores. They work best for stores with an existing loyal customer base. You also have to be in a position to offer exclusive perks and products, which makes this model particularly useful for stores selling premium or limited edition items.
Membership subscriptions build a community on top of your existing business model. However, it can be challenging to produce compelling exclusive benefits at a regular cadence. There is also a risk of eroding your margins unless you carefully balance perks with profitability.
The best subscription strategy depends on your inventory and business strategy. But here’s a general guide to how you might match your business with a suitable model.
| Your Business Situation | Best Subscription Model |
|---|---|
| Consumables store | Replenishment |
| Diverse inventory/boutique | Curated/Discovery |
| Strong brand loyalty | Access/Membership |
| Limited operational capacity | Access/Membership |
| New store building customer base | Replenishment |
| Creative sourcing capability | Curated/Discovery |
| Premium pricing power | Access/Membership |
| Predictable supply chain | Replenishment |
| High customer engagement/community | Access/Membership |
| Products with discovery appeal | Curated/Discovery |
WooCommerce is a powerful ecommerce platform, but it doesn’t include subscription features by default. There are, however, several plugins that provide all the tools you need to add subscriptions to WooCommerce. Three main options dominate the WooCommerce subscription landscape, each with distinct advantages depending on your needs.
WooCommerce Subscriptions is the official plugin from Automattic. It has the most comprehensive feature set, including:
WooCommerce Subscriptions is a premium plugin that integrates seamlessly with the broader WooCommerce ecosystem and benefits from a large community and third-party extension library. If subscriptions are central to your business model and you need maximum flexibility, this is the gold standard.
YITH’s subscription plugins provide a solid alternative at a similar price point. It covers core subscription functionality such as recurring payments, trial periods, and pause options with a different interface and support approach. It’s a viable choice for stores with straightforward subscription needs, though it has fewer integrations than the official plugin.
Subscriptions for WooCommerce is a free subscription plugin with a premium upgrade option. The free version is sufficient for WooCommerce store owners to launch a basic subscription service. It’s a good choice if you want to try subscription sales without committing to a more expensive premium plugin.
Switching subscription plugins after launch can be disruptive and technically challenging. It’s wise to start with the plugin that matches your long-term vision. If you’re serious about growing subscription revenue, consider choosing one of the more capable and extensible premium options.
Pressable’s managed WooCommerce hosting provides a secure, high-performance foundation for your store. We take care of the technical side so you can focus on selling. Every WooCommerce hosting plan includes automatic scaling, a global content delivery network, and our easy-to-use control panel.
Discover our full range of WooCommerce hosting features or schedule a demo to learn more.
As your ecommerce business starts to scale, growth brings both excitement and new operational challenges such as increased manual data entry, inventory inconsistencies, and bottlenecks in fulfillment. Many growing businesses implement an Enterprise Resource Planning […]
Cyber Monday arrives, and your business is primed to accommodate website visitors and process carts through checkout…or is it? Unfortunately, your overwhelmed IT person misconfigured the firewall on your dedicated server. This led to your […]
Learn how WordPress hosting benchmarks work, what to look out for, and which factors can have the most significant impact on performance.