The subscription box market - France

The concept of a subscription box consists of paying a fee to have a selection of products delivered within the framework of a certain theme. There are two types of boxes: surprise boxes (where the customer chooses product category but the product itself is unknown) and practical boxes (products related to gastronomy, shaving, beauty etc.) They are usually received on a monthly basis, however products can also be delivered weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly.  In 2010, the subscription box was officially born through Birchbox. In 2011, the Beauty Box (JolieBox) arrives in France, launched by Mathilde Lacombe, Quentin Reygrobellet, Martin Ballas, François Morrier and Quentin Vacher. Fast forward to today, and the French subscription box market offers around 450 different boxes, a market which continues to grow at rapid pace. [boxraiser] Today, the market in France is highly competitive, with different players ranging from micro-startups to large brands such as Unilever, and constantly evolving since new actors appear and disappear regularly. Nevertheless, the market potential for growth is immense; today, the number of people who know about subscription boxes in France is only 26% of the population as estimated by boxraiser. The industry is increasingly subject to aggressive marketing strategies. Many brands include flagship products in their boxes to obtain feedback from consumers. Moreover, since distribution is almost exclusively through e-commerce, the industry is also heavily reliant on social media for exposure purposes. [consoglobe]