Episode 34: What You Need To Know About Subscriptions
Subscriptions aren't new — the Book of the Month Club started the whole idea, mailing books to readers who mostly kept them because returning one was a hassle. But the subscription model has exploded lately, and Vonda and Lori have watched it happen inside Flower Clique: since adding subscriptions to their managed websites at the start of the year, member shops keep reporting "I sold another one!" In this episode, the hosts break down the three types of subscriptions, why flowers fit all of them, and exactly how a shop can start building recurring revenue this week.
The three subscription buckets
Replenishment is the convenience play — think Amazon's recurring dog food delivery. For a flower shop, that's corporate work: a hotel lobby, a doctor's office, a law firm getting fresh flowers every week on a yearly agreement. The selling key is showing the math — "sign up for a year at this price, versus what these would cost ordered individually." One shop Lori talked to even saved her law-firm account during shutdowns by delivering to each attorney's home, one by one, until the office reopened.
Curation is the beauty-box model — experts pulling together a personalized selection. Flowers fit beautifully here. When a customer orders for a birthday and mentions "she loves purple," that goes into your point-of-sale customer notes. Now you can call and say, "Mark, your wife's birthday is coming up — can we set that up to deliver automatically every year?" That's a subscription, and it takes the burden of remembering off the customer. Lori suggests going further with a short survey — favorite colors, style preferences — so every delivery feels custom-designed for the recipient.
Access is the membership model — Netflix, Costco, Amazon Prime, even your POS system. You pay monthly for ongoing access instead of $20,000–$50,000 up front the way businesses once paid for custom technology. (Flower Clique itself, the hosts realize mid-episode, is a blend of replenishment and access.)
Shorter terms, tiers, and knowing your customer
The old flower subscription was a year-long commitment. Flower Clique's approach offers three-month and six-month options too — a smaller ask that lets customers try it, with the goal of re-upping when the term ends. On pricing, Vonda and Lori agree it depends on the customer: build tiers, and know your market. Some buyers care most about the deal; others, like Lori's husband, will happily pay for a year because convenience matters more than price. And some customers just want a nice wrapped bundle every week. Whatever the tier, break the math down clearly — everybody likes seeing that the year subscription averages out to the better deal.
One of the easiest sells: split gifts. During Mother's Day, shops were coached to tell adult siblings ordering together, "what you three should do is sign her up for a subscription." A subscription divided by three doesn't sound bad at all.
Keep upselling — a subscription isn't the ceiling
Just because a customer has already paid doesn't mean the conversation is over. Keep subscribers informed about new and better products — candles, boutique items, whatever your shop carries. "We're sending this to your mom this week — we just got in the cutest pink stuffed flamingos, and I know pink is her favorite color." That personal touch does double duty: it adds to the sale and shows the customer you remembered. The customer notes in your POS make it possible.
How to start selling subscriptions now
Put subscriptions on your website so customers can discover the option on their own. Then do the braver thing: get on the phone. Lori would call her top ten regulars first — get them subscribed, get them loving it, then ask for reviews to post on social media and Google. It's free traction; it just takes legwork and courage. Vonda adds a smart filter: pull upcoming birthdays and anniversaries from your POS and call those customers — "your mother's birthday is coming up, and I have some great ideas for her." The worst they can say is "no thanks, we've got it covered." With shops flourishing on funerals and everyday deliveries right now, buyers are open — and the best thing you can do is make that revenue recurring.
Key takeaways
- Subscriptions come in three flavors — replenishment (corporate weekly flowers), curation (personalized recurring gifts), and access (memberships) — and flower shops can sell all three.
- Offer 3-, 6-, and 12-month tiers and show the per-delivery math; shorter terms lower the barrier and set up the re-sell.
- Mine your POS customer notes for birthdays, anniversaries, and favorite colors — then call and offer to automate the occasion.
- Keep upselling subscribers with add-ons and new products; the subscription is the floor, not the ceiling.
- Start with your top ten customers by phone, then turn happy subscribers into reviews for social media and Google.
Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist