USA Today has piece saying that "subscription services have become such a hot trend that you can get a regular delivery of just about anything, from monthly underwear to weekly fresh-made soup."

You can read the entire piece here.

KC's View: I'm not going to break down the whole USA today story because this is a trend that we've been talking about here on MNB for quite some time. Plus, they miss the big dog in this fight - Amazon.com, which has been aggressive and successful with its Subscribe & Save program.

Subscription services lock customers in, take them out of the market for certain products and categories, and creates a more connected relationship with store and shopper. (And, potentially, manufacturer and shopper in cases where the manufacturer decides to create its own subscription programs.)

It strikes me as a great opportunity for retailers trying to find new ways to be relevant to their shoppers.