Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! This issue is all about what consumers want and how brands respond to their ever-evolving needs.

We dive deeper into our new global consumer report–which reveals the trends and behaviors that drive acquisition and retention. We review the FTC’s sue against Amazon over ‘deceptive’ practices, The New York Times and Spotify’s new strategies to boost subscriber growth, and the summer sale benefits for Prime and Target Circle members. 

Consumers expect flexibility at sign-up, loyalty incentives, and easy personalization

Expectations of subscriptions have evolved and increased over time, and with the economic uncertainty consumers face, they’re very cautious about where they spend their money. Understanding the subscriber mindset is key to building long-lasting relationships. Read more on Recurly.

Our new report, State of Subscriptions: What consumers want, identifies the most effective tactics and incentives for driving subscription behaviors while quantifying consumer subscription spend and trends. 

Get the insights you need—from acquisition to retention, across generations and regions—to unlock growth, delight your subscribers, and thrive in the competitive subscription landscape.

FTC sues Amazon over ‘deceptive’ practices in Prime signups, cancellations

The Federal Trade Commission filed suit against Amazon in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleging a number of deceptive practices around its Prime membership program–making it difficult to cancel the subscription, according to its complaint. Learn more on Retail Dive.

The New York Times Cooking is letting readers taste test recipes over text to drive subscriptions

The NYT is trying a new way to boost subscriptions to its paywalled recipe platform–dishing out 150 recipes for free. From June 21 to August 15, people in the U.S. can text one fruit or vegetable emoji to “361-COOK-NYT” and receive a recipe featuring that food item. Users will also get early access to events, usually costing $5/month. Read more on Digiday.

Spotify will reportedly launch hi-fi audio through a costlier premium subscription

The company first announced the hi-fi tier back in 2021, but the launch had been delayed. Now, Spotify will launch its hi-fi tier with lossless music streaming through a “Supremium” plan later this year, which might cost more than the current premium plan of $9.99 monthly. Read more on TechCrunch. 

Amazon’s Prime Day, Target summer sale get July dates

Amazon announced that Prime Day will take place July 11 and 12, while Target Circle Week will last from July 9 through 15–both exclusive to members of the retailers’ loyalty programs. For the first time, Target is linking its sale to its free Target Circle loyalty program, launched in 2019. Learn more on Retail Dive.

Join Recurly at these exciting events

Live webinar: State of Subscriptions: What consumers want. What is most valuable to subscribers? Join Recurly's Chief Marketing Officer Theresa McEndree and Senior Director of Brand Cinnamon Perryman to unveil the key insights into subscriber experiences, considerations, and personalization. Register now.

On-demand: Modern CTOs: Engineering subscriptions that scale. Hear from Recurly's CTO Tony Allen and Scentbird's CTO Andrei Rebrov and discover how to build an unshakeable foundation that supports the performance, security, and compliance risks subscription businesses face. Watch now.

On-demand: Uncovering the subscriber landscape: Customer perspectives & trends to drive revenue. Join Oscar Wall, Recurly EMEA General Manager, and Jonas Åström, Recuro Founder and CEO, as they share their expert insights on consumer preferences, their impact on revenue, and how to grow recurring revenue across the subscription lifecycle. Watch now.

From the Recurly blog

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