Gratsi Doubled Active Subscriptions and Hit 51% Subscription Revenue with Skio

Austin Wine Brand Built Different

Gratsi launched in 2018 with a mission to reinvent boxed wine for modern drinkers. Based in Austin, the brand targeted $1M+ annual revenue by making subscriptions their primary growth engine from day one. Customers weren't just buying wine—they were buying into an experience with boxes arriving on repeat and consistent quality.

Achilleas Petris joined as Marketing Director with clear mandate: scale subscription revenue to become the majority of total business. The subscription model seemed straightforward—one-box, two-box, and three-box options—but that simplicity would soon become a limitation.

By 2023, Gratsi hit a growth ceiling. Their subscription platform couldn't keep pace with the brand's retention ambitions, and every month they stayed put meant leaving money and loyalty on the table.

Recharge Turned Growth Levers Into Operational Headaches

Gratsi's Recharge setup was throttling growth through rigid limitations and broken communication flows. The platform couldn't handle customer requests for customization—like mixing red with rosé in the same order. What should have been simple upsells became operational nightmares.

Support from Recharge was slow and inconsistent. For a subscription-first brand, every delay meant churn, frustrated customers, and revenue at risk. Each technical limitation forced workarounds that consumed team bandwidth.

The breaking point? Gratsi couldn't test new offers or run retention campaigns effectively. Without tools to experiment with volume discounts, surprise gifts, or recovery flows, they were stuck watching competitors innovate while their growth stalled.

Recharge's rigidity was killing flexibility. As the brand scaled, the platform became a straitjacket preventing exactly the kind of customer experience innovations that drive subscription loyalty.

Migration Without the Migraine

Switching subscription platforms makes founders sweat—one mistake and the revenue engine grinds to a halt. For Gratsi, the experience was the opposite.

"No problems are a good thing right? I don't remember any problems during the migration. It was seamless."

Skio's white-glove migration moved thousands of recurring customers without disrupting revenue flow or customer experience. The technical transition wasn't just smooth—it was a trust-builder that gave Gratsi confidence to implement retention strategies Recharge couldn't support.

With the foundation reset, Gratsi immediately started unlocking growth levers that Skio made easy. Volume discounts rolled out in weeks instead of months. Smart upsell capabilities went live without custom development. Recovery flows activated automatically.

The migration proved Skio's team moved fast, anticipated issues, and delivered support that felt like partnership rather than vendor relationship.

Volume Discounts and Smart Recovery Drove Growth

Gratsi leveraged Skio's volume discounts to incentivize subscribers to stock up, driving average order value sharply higher within months. Smart upsell pushed subscribers to try more varieties, boosting both basket size and product discovery.

"The AOV has been getting higher and higher and it feels great to see that big difference within such a short period of time."

Surprise and Delight campaigns turned subscriptions into experiences. Tote bags, thoughtful gifts, and perks reminded subscribers they were part of something bigger than wine delivery. Emotional loyalty replaced transactional relationships.

"We know people are spending more because it's not just about the wine—it's the experience."

Skio's in-house dunning tool recovered 65-70% of failed payments through adaptive recovery flows. Multiple retry phases, custom intervals, and automatic discount codes in later phases turned churned revenue into predictable recovery. What used to be a leaky bucket became one of Gratsi's most powerful retention levers.

Subscriptions Became the Core Business

2x+ active subscribers in under 12 months

51% of total revenue from subscriptions (peaking at 67%)

25% of subscribers reaching their 7th order

65-70% recovery rate on failed payments

The transformation was complete. Subscriptions grew from growth engine to core business driver, with retention rates beating industry benchmarks through experience-focused loyalty programs.

Skio's merchant success team provided ongoing support that felt like internal team extension rather than external vendor.

"Even though we might have some issues every once in a while, it doesn't matter because you guys are there to fix it. It feels great that we actually have a person we know behind the screen."

Loyalty in a Bottle

Gratsi isn't just selling wine in a box—they're selling loyalty through subscription experiences that make customers feel valued. With Skio powering their retention engine, they've unlocked higher AOV, stronger loyalty, and recovery systems that generate predictable revenue.

Backed by merchant success partnership, Gratsi can keep scaling and experimenting, confident their subscription foundation will accelerate growth rather than limit it.