One in 10 Britons has signed up to a subscription service during lockdown, with companies offering regular deliveries of food and drink reporting a huge spike in the customer numbers.
Companies offering gin, cheese and coffee subscriptions have all reported big increases in customer numbers, as consumers unable to get supermarket delivery slots or go out to eat and drink searched for alternatives, or simply looked for treats.
Field & Flower, which delivers meat and fish boxes nationwide, said in one week subscriptions leapt by 1,665%, while Mindful Chef, which sends out recipe boxes, reported a 452% spike in new customers.
Gin subscription service Craft Gin Club said it had signed up 30,000 new members to its monthly boxes, bringing its membership to 90,000. The firm charges £40 for each box, which includes a full-size bottle of gin and mixers.
Subscription firms have been growing in recent years, with customers able to sign up for regular deliveries of everything from razors to children’s art supplies.