In just one quarter, YOCTO helped Zapply UK turn a rapidly growing but leaky subscription program into a retention engine – lifting their cancellation save rate from 4.17% to 42.34%, increasing subscription take rate by 16.78%, and building the infrastructure to convert one-time buyers into long-term subscribers.
Facts
Client: Zapply
Industry: CPG
Focus areas:
• Subscription Growth
• Churn Prevention
• Lifecycle Optimization
• Subscriber LTV Expansion
Results
- Revenue scaled from
€137K → €780K per month - Subscription take rate increased by 16.78%
- Cancellation save rate improved from 4.17% → 42.34%
- Projected annual revenue from replenishment flows ~€200K+
Client Insights
Zapply had already achieved strong success in the Dutch market before expanding into the UK. By the time YOCTO joined, the UK brand had:
- Active paid acquisition
- Early subscription traction
- A functioning tech stack
- A growing subscriber base
However, as growth accelerated, the subscription infrastructure wasn’t yet optimized to support scale. Key opportunities existed in:
- Increasing subscription adoption during purchase
- Improving cancellation save rates
- Converting one-time buyers into subscribers
- Reducing early churn through better onboarding
Our role was to strengthen the retention engine behind Zapply’s acquisition growth.
The Challenge
As Zapply UK entered its rapid growth phase, three key opportunities emerged.
One-time purchasers were not systematically converted into subscribers: Many customers initially purchased without subscribing. But there was no structured replenishment system encouraging them to switch to subscription before their product ran out. This meant losing the opportunity to convert highly qualified repeat buyers into recurring customers.
Subscription take rate was lower than it could be: Many customers were purchasing without subscribing. Without strong subscription adoption at checkout and cart level, the brand was leaving significant recurring revenue potential on the table.
Cancelation experience was losing us too many subscribers: The existing cancellation flow inside Loop was basic. Subscribers could cancel easily without friction or meaningful save attempts. The result: A 4.17% save rate, meaning nearly all customers who attempted cancellation successfully churned.
Our Process
Instead of focusing purely on campaigns, we concentrated on four structural initiatives designed to increase subscription adoption and reduce churn.
Increasing Subscription Adoption at Checkout
One of the fastest ways to grow subscription revenue is by improving subscription take rate at the moment of purchase. We implemented one-click subscription upsells directly in the cart.
This served two purposes:
- For customers purchasing one-time → offer an easy switch to subscription.
- For customers already subscribing → offer a one-click upsell to a larger bundle
This strategy allowed Zapply to:
- Increase recurring revenue
- Encourage larger subscription orders
- Offset discount-driven AOV drops
Results:
- Subscription take rate increased by 16.78%
- Average Order Value increased by 1.76%
This result is particularly strong because subscription discounts often reduce AOV — but the bundle upsell balanced this effect.
Rebuilding the Customer Portal Cancelation Flow
The next major lever was improving the subscriber save experience.
Previously, the cancellation flow inside Loop was extremely basic. Customers could cancel quickly without selecting a reason or seeing meaningful retention offers.
We redesigned the cancellation journey to include:
- A benefits page reinforcing the value of staying subscribed
- Mandatory cancellation reasons based on the most common churn drivers
- Personalized retention treatments for each cancellation reason
- Improved messaging highlighting what customers would lose by cancelling
These changes created a structured retention system instead of an instant cancellation path.
Results:
- Cancellation save rate increased from 4.17% → 42.34%
For subscription businesses, improvements at this stage can dramatically increase customer lifetime value.
Converting One-time Customers into Subscribers
Many customers prefer to test a product before committing to a subscription. Instead of forcing subscription immediately, we created replenishment flows targeting one-time buyers.
These flows were timed based on:
- Product usage
- Estimated consumption timelines
- Inventory depletion timing
Emails were designed to trigger just before customers ran out of product, when they were most likely to reorder.
The flows emphasized:
- The convenience of subscription
- Subscriber discounts
- Avoiding missed doses or inconsistent use
Projected Impact:
This initiative alone is expected to generate ~€200K in additional annual revenue, with further upside as the customer base continues growing.
Strengthening the Post-purchase Subscriber Journey
Early churn often happens when customers don’t experience results quickly enough. In many cases, this isn’t due to product performance but to inconsistent product use.
To solve this, we built a dedicated subscriber onboarding journey focused on:
- Product education
- Habit formation
- Expectation setting
- Reinforcing product benefits
- Encouraging consistent use
This creates a better customer experience while reducing early churn caused by misuse or inconsistent habits.
Highlights
Revenue scaled from
€137K → €780K per month
Increasing subscription take rate immediately multiplies the impact of paid acquisition.
Cancellation save rate improved from
4.17% → 42.34%
Preventing churn is one of the highest-leverage actions for subscription brands. A higher save rate directly increases lifetime value.
What’s next?
To further strengthen this subscription engine, we are now implementing freebie-based retention mechanics at key churn points in the customer journey.
Upcoming initiatives include:
- Free gifts unlocked across subscription milestones
- Highlighting these upcoming rewards in email flows and billing reminders
- Promoting them inside the subscription portal
- Creating anticipation for future rewards
The goal is simple: Turn the subscription experience into something customers look forward to – not cancel.