2025 promises to be an exciting year for subscription businesses as consumer demands and market dynamics continue to evolve. What will be the key competitive differentiator? What trends will shape the market? And what challenges does the subscription movement face? To gain insight into these questions, we have spoken to some of the leading subscription experts from the largest subscription companies to hear their perspectives on the future.
The article presents perspectives from:
Trend experts:
Systems and billing experts:
Retail- and Products-as-a-Service experts:
Media experts:
Get inspired by their insights and gain a glimpse into what 2025 may hold for the subscription industry.
Trend experts from Subscrybe and PEJ Gruppen – Scandinavian Trend Institute
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
Subscription consumers have become extremely selective. We still love subscriptions, but we are also quick to cancel those that don’t provide real value. The key competitive advantage in 2025 will be the ability to continuously deliver value to customers at the right price. It may sound obvious, but in practice, it’s incredibly difficult to achieve. That’s why having a clear strategy for continuously enhancing the value experience for your subscribers is absolutely essential.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
I see three key trends emerging in 2025:
- Firstly, we will see more and more people perceiving subscriptions as a lifestyle and not just a form of payment. More people will open their eyes to the freedom and flexibility that lies in ‘usership instead of ownership’. We’ll see this in transportation and electronics, but also in clothing and fashion, including glasses and other accessories.
- Secondly, we will see more and more companies adopting subscriptions as a purchasing strategy. Again, to increase flexibility and reduce capital requirements.
- Thirdly, there will be a focus on the environment and sustainability. Good subscription solutions must also contribute to a better and greener world.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
As mentioned earlier, subscribers are becoming more selective and value-conscious. At the same time, they’ve become comfortable with jumping in and out of their subscriptions. ‘Churn-and-return‘ has become a common subscriber behavior. This makes the experience you provide when a subscriber wants to cancel absolutely critical. Make it easy and simple and give them choices. Let them pause or downgrade. And send them off with a smile. Because many of them will come back again.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
Two things! Increased competition from other subscription companies and ongoing economic pressures on consumers.
The big paradox is that the number of subscriptions among consumers is increasing. But the number of new subscription options is increasing even more. This means most subscription businesses face intensified competition and rising churn rates.
How do you solve this? As mentioned above. Focus on the balance between value and price. And 100% control of the subscriber journey, including how you create habits for your subscribers, increase their usage and engagement, and make them more and more loyal.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
The most important competitive advantage in 2025 will be personalization. The ability to tailor content, delivery, and frequency to each customer’s needs and preferences will be key to creating value. Flexibility will also play a crucial role, as consumers increasingly expect the freedom to modify their subscriptions as needed and to easily start or cancel services.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
In 2025, more products and services will shift to subscription models as consumers with increased purchasing power seek to free up time. Routine tasks and predictable purchases will be automated through subscriptions, reducing mental strain and allowing consumers to focus on what truly matters.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
The first steps of the subscriber journey should be a top priority in the coming years as the subscription market continues to grow. Attractive pricing, a clear overview, and a seamless onboarding process will be crucial for success. Companies that fail in these areas risk losing customers to competitors, as this is where the decision to commit to a subscription is made.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
The biggest challenge will be consumers’ growing expertise in managing subscriptions. They will become adept at comparing prices, switching services quickly, and taking advantage of introductory offers. This will require companies to consistently deliver value and maintain customer loyalty through unique and tailored offerings.
System- and billing experts from Billwerk+, Vipps MobilePay, and Agillic
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
Forbrugerne forventer i stigende grad skræddersyede løsninger, der passer til deres individuelle behov og livsstil. Dette inkluderer fleksible betalingsmuligheder, mulighed for at tilpasse abonnementsniveauer, og nem adgang til at sætte abonnementet på pause eller ændre det uden besvær. Virksomheder, der kan tilbyde denne grad af kontrol til kunderne, vil skille sig ud i et konkurrencepræget marked.
Consumers increasingly expect tailored solutions that fit their individual needs and lifestyles. This includes flexible payment options, the ability to customize subscription levels, and hassle-free options to pause or modify subscriptions. Companies that empower customers with this level of control will stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
- AI and automation: Subscription businesses will leverage AI to predict customer preferences, reduce churn, and optimize the subscriber experience. This could include personalized recommendations for upgrades, downgrades, or adjustments based on user behavior.
- Focus on sustainability: Consumers will expect companies to prioritize sustainable products and delivery methods. Green subscriptions may become a key competitive factor, just as the storytelling about the sustainability behind a product already is.
- Bundling: More companies will offer combined subscription packages (e.g., streaming + products + insurance) to enhance value and reduce customers’ need for managing multiple subscription accounts. Additionally, companies will introduce add-ons, much like the auto industry offering service subscriptions with extras like car washes and tire replacements.
- Micro-subscriptions: Shorter-term or niche subscriptions that allow customers to subscribe to specific features or services, catering to highly targeted needs.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
Retention should be the primary focus. While acquiring new customers is important, real success in 2025 will depend on reducing churn and maximizing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). This requires:
- Proactive onboarding: Ensuring customers quickly understand and experience value from the product.
- Ongoing engagement: Delivering personalized content and continuously optimizing the customer experience.
- Feedback loops: Regularly collecting and implementing customer input to improve offerings.
- Transparent communication: You will never go wrong with communicating openly about the subscription and keeping subscribers informed about when they are being charged, and for what which services and products, whether through email or notification.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
The biggest challenge will be balancing consumer expectations for flexibility. Customers will demand more personalized solutions, better service, and greater value for money, while businesses must navigate inflation, rising competition, and margin pressures.
Additionally, tighter regulations on data management and subscription policies are likely to emerge, potentially challenging existing business models.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
I expect loyalty through hyper-personalization to be the key competitive advantage. The ability to leverage customer data and AI to tailor offerings and create real-time engagement will be crucial. This approach will result in higher retention rates compared to competitors that cannot deliver the same level of relevance and convenience.
In some areas, the subscription market is becoming saturated, naturally leading to lower retention rates. To attract customers, businesses may feel pressured to offer aggressive discounts, which increases acquisition costs without ensuring long-term customer value. As a result, a new type of consumer – the deal-seeker – is emerging, lacking genuine loyalty.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
I expect hyper-personalization to play a key role. Companies are getting better and better at activating the knowledge (data) they have about their customers. And with the help of AI, they can create engagement and offers such as subscriptions that meet the customer at the right time in the right channel.
Finally, flexibility is key. It should be easy for customers to modulate their subscription according to their needs, such as pausing or customizing content. This will make the subscription more relevant to the customer as they are in control of their consumption.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
The boring answer would be old favorites like frictionless onboarding or flexibility and transparency for increased retention. Boring because we’ve heard these areas mentioned many times before, and we have, precisely because they are (still) super relevant.
But if I had to pick one area that I think we’re going to see a lot more of going forward, it’s community and loyalty programs. Subscription companies that are able to create a strong community around their brand and at the same time reward loyalty will be very strong in terms of retaining existing customers and creating ambassadors who will recommend the product to others.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
For some subscription companies, especially small and medium-sized businesses, the challenge will be that customers will increasingly expect the products and services they subscribe to be tailored to their needs and preferences.
For most, using AI will be the key to understanding customer behavior and needs at a more granular level, but something as simple as a lack of AI expertise can be a barrier to getting started. If this is the case, it can be beneficial to start small and build your skills along the way.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
The most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025 will be creating a sense of value for subscribers. With the ongoing economic pressures and high interest rates, subscriptions will be under critical evaluation when it comes to sign-ups, renewals, and when credit cards expire. Consumers will be asking themselves: “Is this really a need-to-have subscription?”
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
Consumers will increasingly expect visible value from their subscriptions, which means that demands on providers will grow. Personalized onboarding and automated processes that keep subscribers engaged – such as ensuring services are actively used and making it clear how much value they actually receive – will be crucial. The perceived value must be obvious.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
Onboarding is critical because acquiring new subscribers is costly. Once a subscription is signed up for, companies must ensure it is actively used so that the value is experienced right from the start. Onboarding is also the best tool to minimize churn, as it’s where subscribers develop new habits. The better the start, the longer the customer relationship is likely to last.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
The economic climate remains challenging, but the market may become more positive with the prospect of interest rate cuts. The question is whether lower rates will make it easier to attract new subscribers? At the same time, global events such as Trump returning to the presidency and the ongoing war in Ukraine will influence the broader world situation. 2025 will be difficult to plan for. Therefore, adaptability will be key to success.
Retail- og Products-as-a-Service eksperter fra Matas, Goodiebox og Swapfiets
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
In my opinion, personalization will be the key competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025. Consumers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are increasingly expecting tailored solutions, with a growing demand for companies to adjust their value offerings to individual needs and preferences. Subscription businesses that can deliver personalized services and products – possibly through AI-driven agents – will have a clear advantage over their competitors.
At the same time, the following more fundamental factors will also play a role in strengthening a company’s position in the competition:
- The right assortment
- High value for money – subscription businesses will stand out if they can clearly demonstrate the value subscribers are getting from their subscriptions. We have had excellent experience with this at Matas through Club Matas Plus.
- Fast delivery
- Exceptional shopping experiences
- A reliable and trustworthy subscription company profile
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
- Flexibility: Subscribers will increasingly expect more flexible subscriptions, where they can easily adjust, pause, or cancel their subscriptions according to their needs.
- Increased use of AI and machine learning: These technologies will be used to analyze customer data and deliver more accurate and relevant recommendations to the individual consumer.
- Sustainability vs. price conflicts: Consumers will continue to choose subscriptions that support sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions. At least they say so. However, we are also seeing that many consumers base their decisions more on price, as exemplified by the rapid rise of platforms like Temu. This trend will continue into 2025.
- Family memberships/subscriptions that offer benefits across household members – like Spotify and Netflix. This approach strengthens the relationship between the business and the household, making it harder for consumers to cancel, as everyone in the household benefits from the subscription.
- Gamification: With our own experiences, we know that gamification truly engages customers – we expect its use to become more widespread in subscription services.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
Subscription companies should prioritize retention and engagement of existing customers. Retaining a current subscriber is often more cost-effective than acquiring a new one. This can be achieved by continually adding value, maintaining regular communication, and offering exclusive benefits. Additionally, one must ensure that they have a strong onboarding program and use predictive churn models. By using predictive churn models, businesses can identify subscribers with a high risk of cancellation and create tailored flows to prevent churn.
Following retention, my recommendation would be for subscription businesses to develop strong win-back programs. It is generally easier and more cost-effective to win back former subscribers than to acquire entirely new ones.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
The uncertainty in society, shaped by the war in Ukraine and Trump as the new president of the USA, significantly impacts consumer confidence. As a result, consumers are prioritizing basic needs and becoming more price-conscious, making them less likely to commit to subscriptions.
High demands for personalization and flexibility. Another challenge for subscription businesses in 2025 will be managing customer expectations for constant innovation, personalization, and flexibility. Consumers will expect their subscriptions to continuously evolve and offer new features and benefits.
For example, meal box subscription demands are very complex. Consumers want the ability to choose dishes between different meal boxes, have the flexibility to adjust for the number of people, as one day we are three people and the next we are five, and at the same time account for allergies. This is technically complex, but it is what consumers are demanding.
We need to prepare for, likely not in ’25 (maybe ’26), the rise of ‘AI concierge services‘. This means that as a consumer, you would ask an AI agent where to buy/subscribe to specific products, and the AI agent would navigate and place orders directly on websites. This would put the company much farther away from the consumer.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
One of the most important competitive advantages in 2025 will still be the ability to create a personalized and engaging user experience. Consumers will continue to expect their subscriptions to be tailored to their individual needs and interests, ensuring that relevance and ‘value add’ remain consistently high. This personalization also involves flexibility and the ability to continually adjust the subscription according to changing needs. AI and data analytics will still play a crucial role in delivering customized solutions that not only meet members’ expectations from the start but also adapt as their preferences evolve. Members/subscribers will not want just a static product but a constantly relevant and dynamic relational experience.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
The obvious answer is that AI will continue to play a critical role in 2025, as its correct application offers a leap forward and an enhanced ability to deliver an even stronger value proposition. AI will not only strengthen the relationship with members but also drive innovation, improvements, and savings in supporting services from customer service to quality assurance. At Goodiebox, AI is already part of all processes, which has significantly accelerated our productivity and quality. Additionally, the combination of physical and digital experiences will become increasingly important. Subscribers will increasingly expect an integration of these two worlds, creating a holistic and engaging experience. For example, Spotify now also holds concerts, just as at Goodiebox, we don’t just deliver a box but also an app with a range of supplementary ‘happy moments.’
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
This will naturally depend on the value proposition and expectations for lifetime value and the member journey. Overall, onboarding is always critical, especially for B2C solutions, as the goal should be to quickly demonstrate the value of the subscription and ideally establish a positive habit around the service. Once the experience of this initial value add is established, the focus will automatically shift to retention – i.e., the ongoing development of the value proposition, as mentioned above.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
One of the key challenges for 2025 will be finding the right balance between personalization and scalability – both operationally and economically. I also expect that value for money will remain relevant in 2025, hence, finding the right balance between the horizontal and vertical focus will be important. That is, how much can you meaningfully offer in your offering so that the value proposition doesn’t become too narrow and thus indirectly expensive, while still maintaining relevance and credibility? We’ve always seen ourselves (Goodiebox) as a ‘happy moments’ company and not just a box subscription, and in 2025, we will move even more in this holistic direction, offering even more within “me-time” and ‘self-care’ such as yoga/pilates, meditation, fitness, and sleep. We can offer all of this as part of our ‘happy moments’ universe, so you can find the perfect combination for you at a fraction of what all these services would cost individually.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive factor for subscription companies in 2025, and why?
The key competitive factor for subscription companies in 2025 will be flexibility. Consumers expect seamless, hassle-free experiences with the ability to adjust, pause, or cancel their subscriptions at any time, which is what we offer at Swapfiets. Companies that offer a frictionless, personalized, and customer-centric approach will win. Reliability and service excellence will be the foundation, and adaptability will set the leaders apart.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
- Sustainability as a Standard – Consumers increasingly demand circular, eco-friendly solutions. Subscription models must integrate sustainability deeply into their value proposition.
- Hyper-Personalization – Data-driven insights will allow companies to tailor services to individual needs, making subscriptions feel more like memberships.
- All-in-One Ecosystems – The rise of bundled services (mobility, entertainment, lifestyle) will push companies to integrate more seamlessly into customers’ daily lives.
- Clear Value Focus – As consumers become more conscious of spending, companies must prove their long-term value beyond convenience.
Winning in 2025 means staying flexible, sustainable, and deeply connected to what customers truly need.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
While acquisition is always important, the focus in 2025 should be on retaining subscribers and turning them into brand advocates.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
Balancing growth with subscription fatigue. As more services shift to subscription models, consumers will become more selective about which ones they keep. Companies must prove their real, ongoing value – not just at the start but throughout the entire customer journey. The winners focus on building long-term relationships, not just transactions.
Medieeksperterne fra TV2 Play og JP/PolitikensHus
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
For media companies, it’s product, product, product in the form of clear promises to readers, listeners, and viewers. It may sound basic, but it’s crucial to have solid value propositions. Smart packaging and fancy functionalities in digital distribution don’t move the needle by themselves, but they have become a hygiene factor.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
In the media sector, I believe we will see much more bundling of products. Telecom companies have been strong in this area for many years, and more media outlets are starting to experiment with it. Recently, Politiken collaborated with the New York Times, and these two products complement each other well, just as Ekstra Bladet offers a sports package bundled with Bold.dk and manager games from holdet.dk. I don’t think it will only be the bundling of pure media products, but also other types of products that complement the core media offering and provide attractive added value for subscribers.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
Definitely retention. One thing is to succeed in selling the product, but the real work begins afterward: ensuring the subscriber is engaged with the product, building a habit that can foster loyalty and resilience against being lured away by all the other options the growing digital offerings present daily. In light of this, and with the potential rise of more bundling options, “expansion” (upselling/cross-selling) will undoubtedly also become an even more important discipline.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
The “zapping culture,” which has particularly emerged with the advent of numerous streaming services, where it’s easy to jump from one service to another. Creating habits and loyalty among subscribers is crucial for building a strong subscription business – and bundling, for instance, could play a positive role in contributing to a stronger overall value proposition.
What do you believe will be the most important competitive advantage for subscription businesses in 2025, and why?
The most important competitive factors will undoubtedly still be the ability to collect, analyze, and execute on data about subscribers. A data-driven approach enables a better product or service, personalized offers, proactive retention, and intelligent segmentation. All of these components help increase customer lifetime value.
It will also remain crucial to have “complete teams” with skills that can apply advanced data models, while also collaborating effectively with those who can set the business direction to create value.
Managing with smart KPI frameworks will continue to be central to ensure an intelligent decision-making process that promotes the company’s growth and positioning.
What trends and tendencies do you expect will shape the subscription landscape in 2025?
- Bundling: This is a clear megatrend, particularly in TV/streaming. We will see more partnerships where products/companies either become part of a larger bundling solution or act as aggregators. This could potentially provide subscribers with increased value and possibly an improved user experience through a single interface. For companies that find the perfect match, this could boost retention through increased activation and engagement.
- Rational subscribers: Subscribers will become more critical and agile in their subscription choices – what we call “churn & return.” We will likely see experiments with discounts in exchange for commitment, although this contradicts the principle of “free cancellation – anytime.”
- Fighting account sharing: Illegal account sharing will be reduced through technological solutions in companies where it represents a significant financial risk.
- Of course! Continued investment in a frictionless customer experience.
Which part of the subscriber journey do you think subscription companies should prioritize in 2025?
I believe the prioritization depends on the market’s maturity and the company’s growth strategy (volume vs. value per subscriber). However, onboarding will be a universal key to success, as a positive start sets the stage for good habits. I also believe businesses would do well to offer more choices to their service users by involving them as co-creators.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for subscription companies in 2025?
- Macroeconomic uncertainties: If the economy turns negative, “nice-to-have” subscriptions will be the first to go.
- Talent attraction and retention: Access to qualified employees in technology, data analysis, and customer journey optimization will become critical.
- Customer engagement and differentiation: It will be a challenge to continuously deliver (more) value to keep customers engaged and prevent them from opting for more cost-effective alternatives.
