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46 October 2015 | beautystorebusiness.com Makeup Musings the NewBeauty Test Tube, which combines a beauty subscription box with a magazine subscription and a resource of online prod- uct reviews; and many more. BOXES OUTSIDE BEAUTY The beauty industry is not the only one that has taken advantage of this unique and extremely marketable business model. Monthly subscription boxes are now avail- able in fashion (for both men and women), food, pets, sports, fitness, education, tech, kids, etc. For example, Nature Box is a monthly box that delivers healthy snacks straight to your door. Subscrib- ers can choose from hundreds of healthy portioned snacks in the serving size and delivery frequency that fits their lifestyles for around $20 a month. Other companies along this same vein send weekly boxes with perfectly portioned ingredients and instructions to cook a variety of meals for all dietary needs. For the fashion lov- ers there are a few fantastic companies that offer a personal styling component to shopping. Stitch Fix was designed for the busy woman on-the-go with no time for shopping. It is a personal styling service tailored to one's taste, budget and life- style. Like many other subscription boxes, it starts with a personal style quiz and a personal stylist actually corresponds with the customer as to what will be in your box. From there it sends five personalized pieces that are delivered to your door for you to try on, keep what you love, and send back the rest. Customers are only charged for what they keep, and as an incentive to keep everything 25% will be taken off your final order if you do so. Trunk Club is a similar company for men. I actually tried this out with my husband, and it was a really fun experience for him. The stylist was really personal, and sent him options via email. Once we received the beauti- fully wrapped box, it gave him an idea of what he should be looking for when he shops on his own. YOUR BOTTOM LINE Subscription boxes are here to stay. The business model makes shopping extremely personal, and gives brands a chance to see how the consumer market reacts to their products via reviews and social media. Beauty companies and stores must adapt their models to sink or swim in this new world. From a brand perspective it can open up a lot of doors and get new products into thousands of hands that normally may not get a chance to try them. My advice would be to work with box companies that pay for products, as it is quite the investment. Planning is important too as the qualities can reach up to 100,000 per SKU, so I would also advise to invest in minis. Those who work in beauty stores should familiarize themselves with the brands that are being sent in the top beauty boxes as it may lead to an increase in consumer demand for these products after the samples run out. Many may also want to mimic a similar business model, working with brands to be able to supply customers with various free samples with purchase, providing a "sur- prise and delight" for the customer while hopefully creating new fans for the brand and repeat business. Overall, my experience working with these companies has been a pleasure, and receiving monthly beauty boxes in the mail is even better! ■ Born into beauty, Lori Leib has been immersed in the cosmetic industry her entire life. Attending The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising for Product Development, and her love for color and trend forecasting sparked her interest to join her family's beauty business. Her love for makeup artistry led Leib to attend All About Face Academy in Los Angeles, receiving a certification in Professional Makeup Artistry. Leib is currently the creative director for Bodyography Professional Cosmetics. S P E C I A L W H I T E S A L E E x t r a S o f t L u x u r i o u s & L o n g C l u b W h i t e To w e l s & W a s h C l o t h s C O M M I T T E D T O D E A L E R S & D I S T R I B U T O R S