Subscriptions with Barn2Door
Would you like the possibility of guaranteed ongoing sales?
That is what ‘Subscriptions’ can bring you. These days, Americans have ~9 paid Subscriptions to products they love and use every day, whether they’re using Netflix for movies, Stitch Fix for clothing, or Dollar Shave Club for razors. Who wouldn’t prefer to receive their products automatically if they already plan to purchase them again? And, what business wouldn’t like to secure buyer commitments and recurring revenue month over month?
Subscriptions for Food are a no-brainer (since we eat every day). While 90% of buyers want local food, they are also shopping for convenience. Subscriptions are essential for Farm products that customers use regularly. From CSA boxes and Meat Bundles to individual products like soaps and fibers, customers want the most convenient option to access the products they need.
Subscriptions to food are a no-brainer, since we eat every day. In fact, we flagged customers’ preference for subscriptions as one of the six 2020 Buyer Trends Every Farm Needs to Know. While 90% of buyers want local food, they are also shopping for convenience. Farms should offer subscriptions not only to CSA Boxes and Meat Bundles, but to individual products that customers are using monthly, weekly, or even daily. Farms selling non-food products can absolutely benefit too—flower blooms, goats milk soap and lip balm all make fantastic subscriptions.
Subscriptions Built Specifically For Farmers
Subscriptions offer convenience for your buyers, which can differentiate your Farm and increase sales. Pair convenient purchasing with convenient delivery, such as nearby pick-up/drop-site locations or direct home delivery. Offering convenience when shopping from your Farm store is essential for delighting customers and bankrolling revenue months in advance.
At Barn2Door, we’ve built an ordering experience specifically designed to make it easy for Farms to sell their products on web, mobile, social, and email. With the ability to customize Subscriptions, any Farm can set up a Subscription that is convenient to manage and enjoyed by buyers.
Barn2Door provides three (3) different Subscription options for Farmers to choose from, depending on their unique needs:
Ongoing Subscriptions
For Farmers that can offer products year-round, Ongoing Subscriptions allow customers to remain subscribed without an end date. This means that Farmers can continue to build their subscriber base more consistently without reminding customers to re-subscribe. Common examples include Dairy, Eggs, Poultry, Pork, and Beef. If you farm in a region with year-round sun, maintain high tunnels, or are a Freight Farm, then Ongoing Subscriptions for Produce is also a great option.
Seasonal Subscriptions
Farmers often offer Subscriptions that align with their primary production period. The most common example is a Produce Subscription with fulfillments from late Spring through early Fall. This is considered a “Seasonal” Subscription because it has a hard “start date” and “end date” that are clearly communicated to the customer at sign-up. Examples include Spring Flower Subscriptions and Fall Harvest Subscriptions.
Rolling Subscriptions
Rather than focusing on a distinct “start date,” many Farmers choose to offer a Subscription with a “rolling start date” and a set duration. This can be used for providing “Trial Subscriptions” or programs with a set length like some herd-shares. So, the customer can subscribe at any time, then continue for whatever the length is set to – whether a few weeks or 12 months.
Understanding your Subscription time frame is essential to offer a convenient recurring fulfillment. But, Farmers must also choose how customers will purchase Subscriptions:
Pay as You Go
Enable customers to spread out the cost of a Subscription over the fulfillment schedule. Allow customers to pay for your Farm products as they are fulfilled - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Pay Upfront
Let customers pay for their Subscription in advance. As an incentive, most Farmers will typically offer a 5%-10% discount for paid upfront Subscriptions to help increase cash flow ahead of harvest. (Note, this option is only available for Seasonal or Rolling Subscriptions for a predefined period of time on Barn2Door).
These options allow Farmers to customize Subscriptions in a way that fits their schedule, products, and buyers’ needs. With the benefit of online ordering, Subscriptions are easy to manage while simultaneously driving sales and saving time & money.
Read: How to Package Your Farm Subscriptions and Bundle Boxes
Listen: Packaging and Choice Subscriptions with Little River Farms
How It Works
Subscription items are marked with a “Subscription” banner in a Farm’s Barn2Door store. When the item is clicked on, a customer sees the item description from the Farm, outlining the interval and Delivery details, plus any additional information you choose to include. For example, the typical cuts included in the Bundle Box Subscription (and potential substitutions!) or seasonal flower variations. When buyers add the Subscription item to their cart, they’re prompted to choose a Delivery or pick-up option—the locations and schedules set by the Farmer, including those for direct home or office Delivery!
Once a buyer purchases a Subscription item, they receive an automatic receipt, and the Farm receives an order alert. For the weeks following, the customer will receive automated Delivery reminders for upcoming deliveries. Farms see the Subscription items on their pick and pack list, so for any given day, they can see the total products to be delivered and a separate list for individual order details.
With customers’ busy lives, ever-changing schedules, and fluctuating needs, the best way to cater to convenience is to be prepared. Instead of offering customizations to Subscriptions, Farmers can provide flexible terms to account for the various instances that may arise. Doing so on Barn2Door makes it easy to manage buyers’ needs without taking hours to manage individual orders:
Buyer Skip
Your buyers are busy! Whether it’s planned or impromptu, some customers will need to skip a fulfillment. Offering Buyer Skip allows customers to skip any given Delivery when they’re unavailable (even months in advance).
Buyer Cancel
Life can be unpredictable. Offering customers the option to cancel their Subscription is typical for any service. Providing the ability to cancel without any penalties is important to instill trust in your Farm brand.
Late Enrollment
Sometimes, customers learn about a Seasonal Subscription while in progress and realize they would like to join, too. Allow buyers to subscribe anytime during a Seasonal Subscription with “late enrollment” (e.g., sign-up in week 4 of a 20-week Subscription). This allows Farmers to increase cash flow and move more products mid-season without any hassle (Barn2Door automatically pro-rates the remainder of a Seasonal Subscription with Late Enrollment).
Customers can also use store credits to purchase Subscriptions. Store credits function like gift cards, so buyers can pay upfront and draw down against the credits as they purchase. This means that the $50 gifted to a family member at Christmas can go towards a Meat Bundle Subscription. Now that’s a gift that keeps on giving!
Subscriptions are essential for Farms that are looking to increase sales, access more customers, and save time & money. With convenience at the buyer and Farmer’s fingertips, it’s easy to see why Subscriptions help 1000’s enjoy 80%+ revenue certainty month-over-month.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.