Per-product delivery frequency
Why letting customers set a delivery frequency for each product reduces overstocking and running out.
Per-product frequency means each item in a subscription can have its own delivery schedule. A household might go through laundry liquid every month and dishwasher tablets every three months. A single shared schedule forces a compromise: some items pile up while others run out.
The two failure modes
- Overstocking: products arrive faster than they are used, and the customer skips orders, pauses or cancels.
- Running out: products arrive too slowly, so the customer buys elsewhere in the meantime.
Designing frequency options
- Offer intervals that match how the product is actually used.
- Let customers change an item's frequency without cancelling the whole subscription.
- Show customers what is arriving in their next delivery so they can adjust it.
The original Subundl site described the goal as products that "arrive when required", with "no overstocking or running out".