Birchbox Price Changes – Details on the New Tiered Pricing

Looks like a last ditch effort to stay in business from a desperate company. Birchbox has been on a steady free fall downhill. First the points for review went away,then the couple of beta programs they tried that ultimately went away, constantly offering old repeats in the curated box/sample choices. I predict that this sub box will be ending soon although the shop might stay open. I would be very careful about signing up for an annual subscription at this point unless you want a gift card for the shop in a few months when they close up the sub box.

So if I go back to being an ACE after March 25, they will adjust my rate to $10 instead of this increase?

I have never been a Birchbox subscriber so I can’t speak to the quality issues, but I wish that Goodbeing would have done something like this rather than folding with no warning. I would gladly have forked over a couple more bucks a month to keep getting it.

I feel dumb, but what is ACE?

This price change doesnt bother me, but it also doesnt effect me either since I am an Ace. I think its a relief that they havent changed their prices in 9 years. I work in the food industry, and know that prices have to be raised to meet cost and and still be able to turn a profit. I did notice that this slight price increase will bring new products for us to test, so that is a good thing. Plus other perks they mentioned, like better curation, passing on boxes to let you collect points for store items. Do I expect more from Ipsy Plus and Boxycharm? Of course. Because their items are full size. But for a box that lets me sample products that I may purchase in the future, I’m okay if I have to pay $2-3 more when my Ace status runs out. Staying optimistic. 🙂

like a few folks here, I’m an annual that started last December so I have a few more months to test out their new business model. But I’m really skeptical as I’ve been around long enough to witness their multiple failed attempts to revitalize their brand (remember the option of those various specific boxes?). then again, i’m also hopeful, so who knows, maybe they will surprise us?

Well, I’m out for a while. Going to try Glossybox with the 30% off code that brings it down to $13 a month for a yearly sub. They look like a great alternative to Birchbox for me, and you get some full sized items and mich bigger samples!

Maybe if they stopped shipping a box inside a box it could save them some money? I hate the waste it creates, and quite frankly, it is a pain to open that shipping box. I much prefer a padded bag like Ipsy, which I can easily reuse.

Well, there seem to be a lot of opinions on a lot of things surrounding Birchbox, so I will just throw mine out there as well.

First, I’m surprised at the people saying they don’t like the packaging. I mean, yes, it is a little cardboard box, but there are some cute designs and some pretty designs. I know sometimes people swap just for the boxes, not the content. I receive 2 subs per month, and I have been bringing my second one in to work (just the box) and leaving it for coworkers to take home just because I don’t need 2 of the same design.

Yes, the samples are small, but I got a tiny sample of Sunday Riley eye cream, for instance, and based on the ratio of the sample size to the full size, the sample was valued at over $13. I also often get a full size lippy or eye liner (although, womp, womp, I don’t need eyeliner, and like someone else said, I could draw a line to the moon and back with all my unwanted eyeliners. I think I had 21 of them on my swap page at one time.). Still, I feel like I get a decent value in the box for the $10 I am spending.

Anything I don’t want I can swap or gift. I guess $10 means different things to different people, but for me, $10 per month is worth the fun and surprise of opening the box to see what’s in there and trying a few new products. I’ll just try to maintain my ACE status so I don’t have to pay the higher price. However, I might let go of my second box which is not on ACE status just because I have too many boxes coming in right now and was thinking of cutting back, anyway.

I have 2 more months on my $96 annual subscription. I am out after that. I have found exactly ONE product that I liked enough to purchase a full size. I just hope Ipsy doesn’t follow this lead. These companies get all this stuff for FREE. They receive perks for featuring the products in their sampler boxes and in the subscription boxes. Ipsy has started to dominate due to how they feature these products on their site. They tell you how to use it and why you will like it. You can tell the founders are a generation younger. I know there is box envy with Ipsy, but I will be keeping this one around. And Allure too.

I got the yearly sub which evens out to about $8 a box and was already considering canceling, then this happened.

I am glad I have a few months left to see how they do, but as most ppl have already said, I’m not holding my breath. Sigh.

I’m hoping the customization is flexible. I’d love to see an option for fewer samples if it meant they were slightly larger. I have so many different skincare products and I’d rather have fewer that I can use for longer.

I only started BB in December, so I’m not even close to subscriber fatigue. I’m interested to see how things shift.

Wow! Birchbox wasnt worth it for $10 definitely not for even more money!! When I subbed to them like a year ago it was lots of repeat products and tiny samples of stuff I wouldn’t use. Hard pass!

IF they are not going to personalize the boxes better, then I see no need to continue my subscription.

I guess a couple of months into the ” new and improved” Birchbox should provide the answer as to value vs. increased price for the teeniest samples on the planet.

For $15 a month, they need to be better than Allure in quality and sample size. I doubt that would happen, since the Allure items are tied to magazine ads and the advertisers want to do a hard push. Birchbox just forces the brands to give them free samples if they want the Birchbox shop to carry their items.

I’d consider $15 a month for Birchbox fair IF THEY OFFERED A “NO HAIRCARE ITEMS EVER AT ALL WE PROMISE” OPTION.

I have been with Birchbox a long time with multiple subscriptions in the beginning. I am down to one, but was not planning to renew once this current subscription runs out.

I will continue to purchase through the shop. I have found some of my favorite products through Birchbox. I have been an Ace forever and I don’t see that changing. I love their sales and Limited Edition boxes. Plus their customer service is one of the best around.

I have a paid yr sub. I haven’t been wowed at all. If I had the option to cancel- I would have alrdy. Im guessing… Bb has been running constant promos & discounts with not much success that now they have to raise their rates. Simply put, too many other options Bb can’t compete.

I was a faithful Birchbox subscriber for several years and stopped about a year or two ago. I discovered some awesome products through BB, but I felt that the sample sizes were getting smaller and smaller, and the brands were feeling very repetitive.

I stuck around for a while after they stopped giving rewards points for reviews but eventually decided it was no longer worth the money to me when there were so many other competitive options doing more for their subscribers.

When I unsubscribed, there was little fanfare on their end. I was surprised they didn’t have some kind of personalized outreach program in place. I received an automated goodbye email and that was that. I still buy their limited edition boxes and some full-size products from the Birchbox shop here and there, but I can’t imagine subscribing again … especially with this news … though Birchbox will always have a special place in my heart — it was my v. first sub box!

Not sure if this is their new their strategy but it seems they are losing too much business from competitors and need to reorganize their business. Allure is now dominating the subs by their high end offerings like SR. And Ipsy is killing it with their high end boxes too, plus customization. It’s not longer viably to offer tiny samples. BB was my first sub until I discovered MSA and then I got smart and subbed different boxes that give me more bang for my buck.

I cancelled right when I heard the news. I just hope Ipsy doesn’t jump on that bandwagon…

Hard pass on this. I get that they’re a business and trying to make money but I was rarely impressed with what they sent.

Time for me 2 cancel. I have enough black eyeliners to draw a line from here to the moon. Also tired of repeat products.

I sent BB an email about the increase. I’ve been a loyal subscriber since May 2012 and used to be an Ace every year until they did away with the points system. Being an Ace doesn’t really have much perks – free shipping and a few $5 thrown your way. I still review products even though I don’t get any points and I still buy yearly subscriptions. But my price will go up to $12. My sub is up at the beginning of May and I may be not be renewing.

I liked the $10 a month for BB Man. Might switch to Dollar Shave Club and since they now have multiple grooming products and I can have it shipped when I want.

As much as no one likes price increase news…at least they’re letting everyone know in advance. I can appreciate that. It does seem like this company is struggling to stay afloat, though…they messed up the point system now they’re doing this. For the price, I’m happier with Allure than Birchbox. It won’t surprise me if a year from now the announcement is “Birchbox is discontinuing subscriptions…”