Subscription services stage a comeback

AMC Theatres is experimenting with a new subscription service: Pay a monthly fee and see an unlimited number of movies.

This is the latest in what might be called a “subscription boom.” Food, clothing, personal hygiene products, are all being offered through subscriptions. Stacy Spikes, CEO of Movie Pass, the theatrical subscription service partnering with AMC, says people increased their moviegoing by 60 to 70 percent after signing up for a subscription. And most of those people are from that most coveted of demographics: millennials.

Predictable income from young consumers has spawned new businesses like Dollar Shave Club, Blue Apron and Trunk Club. Their investors subscribe to the belief that the future of commerce looks a lot like the old-school business model of media companies.