How BattlBox and Good Ranchers Built Subscription Brands That Last

 

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Building a subscription business is not just about getting someone to click “subscribe.”

The real challenge is getting them to stay.

In this live episode of Winning With Shopify, Nick Truman sat down with John Roman from BattlBox and Ben Holland from Good Ranchers to unpack how two very different ecommerce brands built powerful subscription models.

BattlBox built a multimillion-dollar brand with around 70% of its revenue coming from subscriptions. Good Ranchers scaled to more than 63,000 subscribers by focusing on product quality, trust, and long-term customer relationships.

Starting With Subscription First

BattlBox began in 2015 with one product and one clear model: subscription only.

At the time, they launched on Cratejoy, which limited them to a subscription-first setup. While that started partly because of platform limitations, it shaped the business from day one.

Instead of offering everything as a one-time purchase, BattlBox built its model around membership, supply, demand, and exclusivity.

Later, the brand moved to Shopify and added one-time purchase options, but the core subscription box remained protected.

That helped them keep the subscription experience valuable.

Quality Comes Before Retention Hacks

Good Ranchers took a different path.

Ben shared that he had no ecommerce experience and no meat industry experience when the business started. But he understood one thing clearly: getting the first purchase is not enough.

The goal is repeat purchase.

For Good Ranchers, that meant the product had to be better than what customers could get at the grocery store.

No amount of clever email marketing, discounts, or tech nudges can make up for a weak product. If the quality is there, customers have a reason to come back.

Building Value Beyond the Product

One of the biggest lessons from the episode is that strong subscription brands don’t just ship products.

They build relationships.

Good Ranchers supports customers with education, recipes, industry updates, and consistent communication. The goal is to give value beyond the meat in the box.

BattlBox does something similar by creating content and experiences around the subscription, including its Netflix Original series.

That level of content builds trust, brand awareness, and a stronger relationship with the customer.

Growing Without Meta Ads

One of the most surprising parts of the conversation was how Good Ranchers grew.

For years, they scaled without relying on Meta or Google ads.

Instead, they leaned into podcast sponsorships and influencer partnerships. Rather than chasing the biggest celebrity names, they focused on creators with strong trust and loyal audiences.

That gave the brand instant credibility.

When someone trusted by the audience says the product is worth trying, it removes a huge barrier for a new brand.

Knowing Your Real Customer

Both brands also highlighted the importance of knowing who your true customer is.

Good Ranchers originally expected more men to buy because the product was meat and grilling-related. But the data showed their strongest audience was women aged 35 to 48.

BattlBox has a completely different customer profile, with the majority of purchases coming from men aged 35 to 55.

The key lesson is simple: your customer is not always who you think it is.

The faster you identify your true audience, the faster you can build messaging, offers, and subscription experiences that actually convert.

Subscription Pricing Matters

Good Ranchers also shared a smart pricing strategy.

They offer both one-time purchases and subscriptions, but one-time purchases cost more.

Instead of discounting the subscription in a way that devalues it, they create friction around the one-time option. Customers can still choose it, but the better value is clearly the subscription.

This helps guide customers toward recurring revenue without removing choice entirely.

Subscription Tech Is a Value Driver

One of Ben’s biggest lessons was around subscription software.

At first, Good Ranchers viewed subscription platforms as an expense. They tried to build the system themselves, but it caused major revenue issues.

The lesson?

Subscription software is not just a cost. It is a value driver.

When recurring revenue is the foundation of your business, the systems that manage that revenue need to work properly.

Reducing Churn Before It Happens

Retention was a major theme throughout the episode.

John shared that BattlBox has a full-time team member focused on calling churned customers. After testing different windows, they found that the best time to win customers back was 90 to 120 days after cancellation.

Good Ranchers focuses heavily on preventing churn before it happens.

They survey customers, review cancellation reasons, and identify where subscribers drop off. One major insight was that some customers were receiving too much product, which caused them to pause or cancel.

By listening to customers and adjusting the offer, they improved the subscription experience.

The Takeaway

The best subscription brands don’t grow by accident.

They grow because they understand their customers, deliver real value, and build systems around retention.

BattlBox and Good Ranchers are very different businesses, but the lesson is the same:

Quality matters.
LTV matters.
Customer feedback matters.
And retention should never be an afterthought.

If you’re building a Shopify subscription brand, this episode is packed with lessons worth applying.

 

Check out the full podcast here.
This episode was brought to you by Nick Trueman, Director of PPC & SEO Agency, Spec Digital.