I
f you’re so inclined, you could wake
up tomorrow morning to the dulcet
tones of Spotify’s carefully curated
morning playlist, before showering
using products delivered in a monthly
beauty box, then taking an Uber to
work.
GETTY IMAGESAt the gym in the evening, you could
exercise with a virtual personal trainer app
that encourages you through your head-
phones, before going home where your
groceries have been delivered, already por-
tioned into meals, so your only decision
is whether to have chicken or pork. You
could then settle in to watch television via
a streaming service that delivers season two
of The West Wing in just a few clicks.
This is the world of subscriber services
that, although not new, is rapidly replac-
ing the traditional view of owning “stuff”.
Subscriber services have been around a
long time – newspapers have been popped
into letter boxes for almost as long as they’ve
been printed. The big change is the degree
NOT SO SECRET
SERVICES
Why buy when you can get so much
more by renting? Welcome to the
world of subscriptions. by SOPHIE BOOT
30 LISTENER NOVEMBER 5 2016
MONEY