How Butcherbox Raises The ‘Steaks’ For Fighting Fraud

Subscription-based businesses have become all but ubiquitous over the past few years.

Customers can have anything from razors to clothing to toys delivered to their front steps, and they can stream almost any piece of media imaginable, all for a monthly fee.

The market seems to have tightened in recent months, however. Blue Apron, once the powerhouse of meal kit delivery services, has been steadily bleeding customers and revenue. Meanwhile, Netflix reported its first net subscriber loss in the U.S.

Industry experts attribute the decline to a variety of reasons, including increased competition and churn.

In the September Subscription Commerce Tracker, PYMNTS explores the latest in the world of subscriptions, including new subscription offerings from Google and Facebook, developments in the increasingly crowded subscription streaming services market, and how subscription box services are reacting to reduced customer demand.

Developments From Around the World of Subscriptions

Tech giant Google is getting in on the subscription economy with Play Pass, a new subscription gaming service for Android phones. The service offers unlimited access to a catalog of premium games and apps with all in-app purchases unlocked. The offering is currently in its testing phase and is expected to cost $4.99 per month.

Ubisoft is also looking at subscription games with its Uplay+ subscription service, which launched in September and includes unlimited access to more than 100 titles for $15 a month.

Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Sony are expected to follow with their own subscription gaming services, and Google will further break into the scene with the 2020 launch of the Stadia cloud gaming service.

Another new entrant in the subscription market is Facebook, which is testing a subscription model for its Facebook Watch hub, which includes BBC-owned BritBox, Tastemade Plus, Discovery Communications’ MotorTrend on Demand and CollegeHumor’s Dropout. Facebook is also reportedly in talks with HBO, Showtime and Starz to host their content on Watch. Facebook stated that Watch currently has approximately 720 million viewers.

For more on these and other subscription commerce headlines, download this month’s Tracker.

How Butcherbox Raises the ‘Steaks’ When Fighting Fraud

Americans are eager carnivores, with more than 27.2 billion pounds of beef and 27.1 billion pounds of pork expected to be produced this year.

Since its founding in 2015, Butcherbox has helped fulfill this craving with monthly meat shipments – but not without its fair share of adversities. For this month’s Feature Story, PYMNTS talked with Butcherbox’s founder, Mike Salguero, about how the business works to fight fraudsters and how it is adapting to an increasingly competitive subscription marketplace.

Deep Dive: Could Disney+ Take the Streaming Service Crown

Netflix is currently the king of subscription streaming services, with nearly 150 million subscribers. Some of its top-rated shows are leaving the service in the coming years, however, and insurgent services like Disney+ and Apple TV+ are poised to take a bite out of the market.

This month’s Deep Dive explores the streaming subscription landscape and how a multitude of  both new and established players are investing staggering sums to take Netflix’s crown.

About the Tracker

The Subscription Commerce Tracker, done in collaboration with Recurly, is your go-to monthly resource for updates on trends and changes in the subscription industry.