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For one week, it is possible to subscribe to Nike. For a monthly fee, US consumers can receive up to 12 pairs per year. A new way of consumption ideal to ensure a loyal customer base, which arouses the interest of many other brands, sometimes unexpected, on this niche.
It is Monday, August 12 that Nike has launched in the United States a new offer quite unexpected: a formula by subscription. Aimed at children from 2 to 10 years old, this offer aims at " rendering service to its customers ", and in particular to parents who wish to avoid having to go back to the store each of the many times that their children change their size. But the American brand goes further, delivering the shoes in a box in the name of the child, with gifts inside. According to Dave Cobban, Program Manager, the goal is to create a loyalty link with the consumer: " with luck, they will remember us and have a good image of the brand ".
A trend in the United States, booming in France
The model of the subscription has also been adopted for a few weeks by the American rental company Hertz, which offers its customers the opportunity to drive the car of their choice for a monthly package. Also in the United States, Uber is testing a subscription offer in San Francisco and Chicago that includes VTC services, home delivery (Uber Eats), and bicycle and scooter rentals (Uber JUMP). Here again, a way to ensure a loyal customer by giving him several benefits and discounts, against competitors like Lyft who gain in power.
In Europe, Ikea will expand its subscription-based furniture rental offer to 30 new countries, including France. The French consumer will also soon be able to subscribe to PSA, which tests a "Car On Demand" offer, which will put at its disposal a car from the Peugeot, DS and Citroën catalog, with insurance and maintenance included. The brands are not mistaken: in France, more than in any other country in Europe, we prefer the use to possession. According to a study by SlimPay , in 2016, 38% of French people had more than six subscriptions, of which 7% had more than eleven subscriptions.
For Denis Dauchy, professor of corporate strategy and director of the Executive MBA of Edhec, the subscription solution brings security and practicality: " As a subscriber, I am guaranteed to have quick access to what I need, but I can not or will not buy it . The act of purchase has indeed a key role in this expansion of the subscription according to Philippe Moati, co-founder of the Observatoire Société Consommation. " The most painful thing is getting cash out of your wallet because you feel the money leaving. Pay by check or credit card is already softer because the payment becomes more abstract. The subscription is even better because the user makes the decision to pay once and then the payment is made by levy, "he says.
Winner for consumers, even more for businesses
A very effective marketing tip to make sure you keep your customers. " When comparing a" subscriber "offer to a normal offer, the first is clearly more competitive because we tend to forget about having already paid for the subscription, " continues Philippe Moati. Companies that use the subscription also benefit from a broader knowledge of their customers, which allows them to offer much more tailor-made services to each of these customers, as evidenced by the dedicated Nike + platform. sport and health, on which the brand's customers benefit from a privileged experience.
It remains for consumers to successfully manage an ever increasing number of subscriptions. Just on streaming music and video services, Americans are already starting to experience "subscription fatigue". This drives the logic to a higher level, with the proliferation of subscription management services. In this context, Amazon Prime is already a leader: with an ever wider product catalog, the American giant is already attracting more than 5 million French people.