COVER STORY
From Ghana to Colombia, how the echoes of Expo 2020 Dubai will resound around the world for decades to come. Let's test this, edited on 29 Apr.
WEEKEND READS
Postcards from Ukraine: messages of life, love and hope from a war-torn land.
Why you don't have to be a superpower to join the space race (just ask Wales).
The Harvard law graduate bringing shawarma to San Diego.
THE ESSAY
CULTURE
Ming-Na Wen on making it in Hollywood: 'You have to create for yourself.'
The humanoid artist making a splash at the Venice Biennale.
Motor of the week: a Porsche without the price.
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More on Turkey's Syria offence
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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