The subscription model is not new (Fosdick has been providing continuity fulfillment since the 70s) but it’s definitely trending! In part, because of what we have come to know as the sub-box or kit (there’s one for everything – from underwear to daily dinner ingredients).

But there is so much in our lives and throughout history that we may not think of as a “subscription” in the modern sense, but which definitively, we subscribe to.

Think newspaper and magazine subscriptions, mail-order products, cable and phone service, satellite radio, the INTERNET, and everything that came with it!

There was a brief period of regression in entertainment with the physical video store (there is still ONE Blockbuster Video location operating in the US. Check it out!) and then in 1997, Netflix was founded, as an old school, mail-order concept.

But soon, we’d figure out streaming, and the smart TV. Netflix flipped the script, competitors followed, and so began the Streaming Wars (separate from the Trade Wars).

The point is, very few industries remain untouched by the subscription model.

And these are just the consumer-facing plays, which has many experts in agreement about B2B as the next trend in continuity.

Yes, this pertains to SaaS. The use cases for subscription software  (in website hosting, content creation, eCommerce automation, and more) have left few barriers to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs.

But the next decade in subscriptions may also unveil massive industrial implications. Think vehicles, machinery, and other industrial equipment.

Donaldson, for example, a manufacturer of air filters, announced a monitoring subscription to trim maintenance costs and maximize uptime.
Deere offers subscriptions to access its latest precision ag technology to drive improvements in crop yield.