My business idea is a subscription service for monthly samples of a very specific food item. Simply put, users would subscribe for a varying monthly fee based on their preferences (quantity, varieties, etc.). They would then receive a monthly sample box based on those preferences. I would hope to work out some sort of deal (in the form of drop shipment, overstock/wholesale purchasing, etc.) with small-medium manufacturers that would allow me to earn on the margins, as well as a premium for the service of delivering products that a user would not find at their local grocery stores.
My initial concerns are for the logistical overhead of managing varied deliveries of products from varied manufacturers. That is to say, I can see needing a physical location to have items received, organized, boxed, and shipped from. As I am a freelance web developer with indefinite travel plans on the horizon, I would also require an employee/partner that I trusted to handle this end of the work.
Years ago, I actually worked a summer internship doing procurement, shipping, and daily accounting for a small manufacturer. So the requirements and workflow of that setup seem quite straightforward to me.
I know there are examples of similarly structured subscription businesses out there. I just can't think of many. Blue Apron, Trunk Club, and Dollar Shave Club are some "big names" I can think of. Can anyone here give some examples of smaller operations with a physical/edible goods subscription structure? Are there any covered here on IH?
Any other resources in the form of interviews, forum threads, or blog posts are greatly appreciated too!
Check out https://www.candyjapan.com
He has also chronicled much of his experience: https://www.candyjapan.com/behind-the-scenes
Bemmu also did an interview on Indie Hackers back in January: https://www.indiehackers.com/businesses/candy-japan
Thanks for pointing this out too. Great interview!
Gold mine!!! This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for :)
https://services.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon/benefits.htm
I have a friend who used this for 'wellness' products. Amazon worked for his situation.
This is interesting. It looks like you can actually have vendors ship their products to Amazon, and then they will mix and ship to your customers as needed. I wonder If there is any option for branded shipping materials.
I could be wrong but I believe there is an option for that
This comment was deleted 7 years ago
Thanks, thomasm1964. The perishable and locally sourced nature of those boxes is different than what I'm thinking, but are a great example for considering the spectrum of possibilities.