Birchbox continues the sampling trend with version for men
The Birchbox Man initative is said to offer grooming and lifestyle products that, similar to the range for women, only provides its subscribers with sample or full-sized products that are ‘worth the splurge.’
“With the debut of Birchbox Man, we are taking our successful discovery shopping formula into new territory and are confident the experience will delight our new male customers and provide a great gift option for our female subscribers,” says co-founder, Katia Beauchamp.
How it works
For $20 each month, ($10 more than the women’s sampling fee), the male subscriber will receive 4 -5 hand-picked deluxe samples and products from shaving gel to stylish socks from top grooming and lifestyle brands.
“We’re not talking about a sampling giveaway at retail point of sale where the retail sample is often thrown in the bag or remains unopened or discarded," says Beauchamp.
The sampling company also offers its subscribers the opportunity to purchase full-size versions of products that they have tried and liked, directly from them.
Men trend building momentum…
As the male grooming sector continues to build momentum in the industry, more and more companies are vying towards areas of the market initially considered to be solely for women, like subscription sampling.
According to market researcher Mintel, men show a keen interest in personal appearance, with 65 percent considering their appearance important and almost half admitting what they want most is to look attractive and well groomed.
Furthermore, Mintel points out that an increase of information in the media, a greater variety of products available and wider use of celebrities to endorse products has positively influenced the male grooming category over the last five years.
