This spring Birchbox made headlines when the company announced it was turning a profit for the first time. And while the sampling business is what Birchbox maybe best known for and how it acquires customers, company co-founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp, told Forbes in April, “We didn't start Birchbox to sell samples.”
The venture is in fact a retail business, mostly in ecommerce but with a couple of brick-and-mortar locations too.
Design
This month, to celebrate 7 years in business, Birchbox issued three collectable boxes. The boxes themselves are an important touchpoint with consumers.
“One of the big reasons behind the company’s growth/success, and why they have been able to maintain this delight, is the creative design of each subscription box,” a company spokesperson tells Cosmetics Design. “Customers look forward to the new box design each month and even DIY/repurpose their boxes into decorations shared on social media.”
This month’s boxes were inspired by consumers' associations with the brand and feature gold foil decoration and black-and-white line art. Each box was created by a different illustrator: Juliet Meeks, Katherine Moffett, and Emily Isabella.
The designs are intentionally the sort that consumers might want to color in; they are also available for consumers to download and print, and as cell phone wallpapers too.
Deals
Birchbox ran its annual consumer appreciation day this month as part of the seventh anniversary celebration. And all month, subscriptions of a half or full year are being discounted 20%.
Select loyal Birchbox shoppers are getting special perks this month: 250 subscribers will receive a flower arrangement from Bouqs, and the “top 30 men’s and women’s subscribers are receiving handpicked gifts plus a handwritten note from Katia,” according to a press release about the anniversary.