Our biggest takeaway from BFCM 2024: subscription isn’t going anywhere. After analyzing the results, it’s undeniable that customers are not slowing down on subscription.

Every year we go above and beyond to make BFCM successful for our merchants. Features are cool but stability is everything when it comes to working with partners. And we’re excited to say there were no outages or hiccups. Just subscription growth!

BFCM 2024 Looking At The Numbers 🤑 

During the week of BFCM (11/26-12/3) Skio merchants saw a 211% increase in new subscription revenue compared to 2023. 

During the month of November 2024, Skio merchants saw a 189% increase in new subscription revenue compared to 2023. 

A few merchants started promotions earlier in November but it’s worth mentioning that over ⅓ of the new subscription revenue came from the week of BFCM.

Despite Skio merchants offering discounts to incentivize new subscribers, we didn’t see a dip in AOV. Merchants actually saw a 20% higher net AOV during the month of November compared to 2023 and that’s even after BFCM discounts were over.

We were also excited to see a 260% increase in add-on revenue compared to 2023, driven by our smart upsell carousel and quick actions.

Our merchants are loving the results. Higher engagement and conversion rates are solidifying these features as must-haves especially during heavy promotional periods. Not using these features yet? Reply back or send us an email ([email protected]) for a quick setup and best practices to get the most out of Skio.

Feature Updates 🛠️ 

1.  Shipping Profiles (Coming Soon)

   Before: Merchants were only able to create one subscription shipping profile which was automatically set to free shipping
   
   Update: Merchants can now create multiple subscription-based shipping profiles tailored to different selling plan groups, offering flexibility in shipping costs and configurations. Example: Set free shipping for "Build-a-Box" subscriptions and paid shipping for standard subscriptions.
   

2. Surprise & Delight Product Blur Banner
   Before: The banner display only displayed text-based information about the upcoming gift and the product price was not included.
   
   Update: The banner now includes a blurred product image building anticipation. There’s also an emphasis on the value of the gift with the strikethrough of the original price (e.g., “$19.99). This visual update keeps the customer engaged and encourages them to stay subscribed so they can get their gift.

   

3. Re-order Actions In The Customer Portal

   Before: Merchants had very limited control over the placement and visibility of action buttons in the customer portal (e.g., “Skip,” “Get Now,” or “Cancel”). To do this we either had to hardcode changes for you or use custom CSS which was time-consuming and complex.
   
   Update: Merchants can now easily reorder action buttons in the subscription card without any technical support or custom CSS. You can move less critical actions to a drop-down menu or highlight preferred actions. Not only is this a huge time saver but you can customize the look and functionality of your customer portal to better align with your brand and goals.

4. Optimize Your Program

   Update: Merchants can now access all Skio recommended settings and features in one convenient location. This will help you discover and enable new features that align with your business needs. This update simplifies decision making for your team by offering descriptions of each feature’s settings and it’s potential benefits.

Level Up 2025 With New Partner Offers ⚡️ 

It’s that time – we’re already discussing your 2025 ecomm resolutions!

Buy-Box Makeover

The buy box on your PDP is where shoppers first encounter your subscription offer. 

You’ve got one chance when it comes to the strength of your offer. With more than 80% of subscribers opting in on first purchase, clearly communicating the value of your subscription program through design is imperative. First impressions are everything!

Is your buy-box full optimized? Peep this swipe file for some inspiration.

Offer: We’ve partnered with 3 agencies that will customize your buy-box to maximize subscription opt-ins (starting at $1,500). Reply to this email send us a note at [email protected]

New Packaging, Who Dis?

We partnered with Arka to offer free packaging audits to all Skio merchants.

Update the look-and-feel of your boxes, mailers, and inserts, or simply see if Arka can beat your current rates.  

Offer: Reply to this email or send us a note at [email protected] to schedule your free packaging audit.

It’s In The Mail

Skio merchants are seeing huge wins with Paper Run - finally connecting with those hard-to-reach customers who scroll past emails.

Revive and reactivate these past customers with a new channel: direct mail.

Offer: Skio merchants who get started in January get their first month free + white glove onboarding, which includes flow setup and mailer design. Just mention Skio during your demo. 

Looking Ahead

To combat the very real post-holiday churn, subscriber education should be a priority heading into 2025. Acquiring subscribers is not like acquiring customers.

Even if retention wasn’t a primary focus for you when setting up promotions this BFCM, there are ways to engage your new subscriber so they stick around well after that first order. Keep an eye on your inbox 👀 We’ll be hosting a few retention focused workshops in 2025. 

-Skio Success Team