SAPPORO, Jan 18 (News On Japan) - A wave of new subscription-style services is drawing attention in Sapporo, with everything from coffee and craft beer to cleaning now being offered for a flat monthly fee.
At the newly opened “4 Pla” commercial complex in Chuo Ward, Sapporo, a coffee shop has launched a subscription plan that allows customers to pick up hand-dripped coffee, Japanese tea, and other drinks for 3,980 yen per month.
According to Yui Ito of Coffee Mafia Sapporo, the plan is designed so that customers who use it about 10 times a month can already feel the savings, even though a single cup normally costs 400 yen.
Unlike many drink plans that limit customers to one serving per day, the service allows users to redeem one drink every hour, meaning it can be used multiple times daily.
Some subscribers said they typically stop by two or three times a day, using it in the morning and at lunchtime, and returning again later if they have time, adding that the plan feels clearly worth the cost.
If a customer uses the subscription three times a day, five days a week, the savings could exceed 20,000 yen a month, based on the shop’s pricing.
Ito said the subscription also helps bring customers into the store, creating more opportunities for them to buy regular items such as muffins, making it a business advantage as well.
With the cost of coffee beans and beverages continuing to rise, the service is being seen as a potential lifeline for consumers looking to cut daily spending.
On the same floor, another subscription is attracting attention at a shop offering around 100 types of craft beer from across Japan.
The store runs a plan priced at 6,980 yen per month, allowing subscribers to drink as much craft beer as they like for two hours each day.
Customers were seen opening the refrigerator themselves, choosing cans, and slowly enjoying different brands, including “Gassan Beer” from Yamagata Prefecture.
One subscriber said he had three beers that day, while adding that his personal record was six in a single day.
Another customer in his 70s said stopping in for a beer after bowling had become part of his routine.
With a typical bottle priced at 1,100 yen, the subscription pays for itself after about seven beers a month.
The beer shop also has its own rule, requiring subscribers to post on social media each time they use the service.
Some older customers said they even started using Instagram after learning how to post at the shop, adding that they are still studying how it works.
Industry observers say subscription services are shifting away from luxury-style offerings and toward plans that fit naturally into people’s daily routines.
Yasushi Yoshizawa, secretary-general of the Subscription Promotion Association, said services must be designed from the consumer’s perspective or customers will quickly cancel, adding that businesses are constantly updating their plans to keep them attractive.
Meanwhile, a cleaning chain has begun testing a subscription service in 2026 that offers unlimited cleaning for a monthly fee of 50,000 yen.
While the price may sound high, the store says the plan becomes cost-effective when customers factor in the wide range of items covered.
A standard weekly order of five dress shirts would normally cost 1,210 yen, and the subscription also covers bedding sets, blankets, covers, and even sneakers, making it useful during the off-season.
Formal wear and everyday clothing are also included, and staff said the total would typically exceed 60,000 yen under normal pricing.
The plan even applies to carpets, with a four-tatami-size rug normally costing 9,060 yen to clean.
One customer said the idea was intriguing because they had never seen a subscription that allows everything from futons to carpets to be cleaned without limits.
Store manager Sae Yoshida said the goal is to help as many people as possible make the most of the service at a time when rising prices are squeezing household budgets.
Source: 北海道ニュースUHB
