Matthew Holman made a fantastic point on Shopify1Percent that the conversation around subscriptions needs to evolve. He argued that the brands that are truly succeeding aren't just slapping a “subscribe and save” option on a product and hoping for the best. Instead, they are actively designing and refining their entire subscription experience, especially what happens after the initial purchase.
Holman’s main argument is that too many brands get the launch wrong. They focus only on the recurring revenue potential but don’t fix the underlying problems that lead to churn. He sees a lot of companies struggling because their offer isn’t compelling enough or their post-purchase communication is weak. For example, he suggests that changing the billing cadence from monthly to quarterly can have a huge impact on retention, because it gives the customer more time to feel the value of the product and reduces the number of transaction failure points. It’s a simple structural change that completely reframes the customer relationship. He also emphasized the importance of a well-executed onboarding sequence and using the customer portal as an engagement tool for upsells, not just a place for subscribers to cancel.
This idea of building a more intentional program is echoed by Jay Myers, who, speaking on eCommerce Fastlane, offered a simple but powerful framework for thinking about what makes a subscription valuable in the first place. He said that a successful subscription business needs to be built on one of three pillars: replenishment, curation, or access. Replenishment is the most common model, like a monthly coffee delivery. Curation is about discovery, where you surprise and delight a customer with new items, like a beauty box. Access gives members exclusive perks, such as content, community, or special pricing.
Combining these two perspectives gives you a really clear path forward. Myers' framework helps you define the core value of your subscription, clarifying why a customer should sign up. Are you saving them time with replenishment, helping them discover new things through curation, or making them feel like a VIP with special access? Once you have that answer, Holman’s advice gives you the toolkit to execute it. You can build a better offer, create a stronger onboarding experience, and use the entire post-purchase journey to communicate that value. This is how you build one of the best Shopify subscription models that achieves higher customer lifetime value and avoids the churn that plagues simpler set-and-forget programs.