London and Wales lead UK subscription box market, beauty is key beneficiary

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 1, 2018

The subscription box market is on a roll in the UK with recipe boxes, beauty boxes and snacks/sweets the most popular options. In fact, just over half of Londoners (50.7%) are signed up to at least one subscription box service, but those living in Wales have the most, with an average of 4.3 per person. That’s according to the second instalment of Royal Mail’s UK Subscription Box Boom Report.

It said those living in the North East of England are also driving the growth of the market with over a third (34.7%) of residents signed up to a subscription box. Residents in the North East are signed up to an average of 3.8 boxes per person.

While beauty boxes are popular, Londoners’ favourite options are actually recipe box services (20% of Londoners are signed up to a recipe option), whereas beauty boxes are the favourite for those in East Anglia and snacks and sweets for the South West and South East. Those living in the East Midlands are most likely to order a DVD subscription box service.

Subscription boxes are proving hugely popular as a gifting option with consumers living in Northern Ireland most likely to buy them as a gift for someone else (55%). Residents from Wales are most likely (36.4%) to receive a subscription box service as a gift.

But most people do sign up for themselves with 98% residents in Yorkshire & Humberside having done so, 95% in London and 78% in Wales.