Art of shaving... Sold to corporation!!!

[Nitrosnail]

I don't know if this is old hat but I just learned today that AOS has been sold to Proctor & Gambel which also owns Gillette. From what I heard the store is going to be geared more towards the gillette(cartridge) razors and less towards straights and DE's. I don't know if they will change their formula for their SS but I sure hope not.
Best, Nitro.

 

[jdlewallen]

Meh...might as well. AoS has gotten more like that anyway -- overpriced...

 

[mmack66]

 

[michiganlover]

Pretty old news, as this transaction happened about a year ago. The most striking change to AOS since the takeover has been the marketing of "high end" Fusion handles.

I don't think DE razors, and straight razors were ever intended to be their major market, especially considering how uneducated their sales staff are.

Here is the "high end" $150 Fusion handle complete with a spotlight built into the handle:


Note: "high end" is in quotes, because fancy handles do little to actually change the shave quality of a pivoting cartridge razor.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

I recall when this news first came out we all freaked about their soaps changing...then somebody, probably Jim, settled us down.

 

[mmack66]

They sold those expensive handles long before P&G bought them as they had partnership agreements with Gillette.

 

[Nitrosnail]

Good to know I
Learned about it today at the aos store when the sales guy said a team from corporate was visiting to see how best to restructure the brand.

 

[HIT]

Pretty old news, as this transaction happened about a year ago. The most striking change to AOS since the takeover has been the marketing of "high end" Fusion handles.

I don't think DE razors, and straight razors were ever intended to be their major market, especially considering how uneducated their sales staff are.

Here is the "high end" $150 Fusion handle complete with a spotlight built into the handle:


Note: "high end" is in quotes, because fancy handles do little to actually change the shave quality of a pivoting cartridge razor.

This picture reminds me of a guy wearing a suit with all-star

 

[gollum83]

I recall when this news first came out we all freaked about their soaps changing...then somebody, probably Jim, settled us down.

All? No most. There were a few of us that remained calmed while the rest of you ran around claiming that the sky was going to fall, fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! You know real wrath of God type stuff.

 

[openhelix]

Yep, they were sold quite awhile ago. My guess is they replace the management team but things stay mostly the same for awhile. Just less/no sales anymore P&G is buying up everyone it seems.

 

[lilotaku]

Pretty old news, as this transaction happened about a year ago. The most striking change to AOS since the takeover has been the marketing of "high end" Fusion handles.

I don't think DE razors, and straight razors were ever intended to be their major market, especially considering how uneducated their sales staff are.

Here is the "high end" $150 Fusion handle complete with a spotlight built into the handle:


Note: "high end" is in quotes, because fancy handles do little to actually change the shave quality of a pivoting cartridge razor.

Its sort of like buying a V6 mustang.......

 

[HoratioCaine]

...a team from corporate was visiting to see how best to restructure the brand.

The takeover is old news, but your observation isn't. Looking at "restructuring" is an ominous sign. It could be completely innocuous, but corporate tinkering rarely results in good changes; they usually just end up fixing what wasn't broken. The saga continues....

 

[Mulie1]

So AoS is now a cooking store? I am pretty sure is not a picture of a razor... I think its some kind of vegetable peeler.

 

[jdlewallen]

Its sort of like buying a V6 mustang.......

With an automatic transmission....

 

[DFrancis]

The restructuring Gillette is looking at is probably overpriced sets of a brush/soap and fusion handle more widely available. or just a regular cheap AOS branded fusion that sells for double the price with AOS blades that have a special sandalwood scented strip.

 

[RazorPete]

Eight months post-takeover and the cream/soap/AS still have not changed. Thats all I care about. What they do about their fusion products are of no concern to me.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Eight months post-takeover and the cream/soap/AS still have not changed. Thats all I care about. What they do about their fusion products are of no concern to me.

Eight months isn't all that long. It could be it has taken them this long just to coordinate the managerial changes, and now they're starting to look at what changes they can make to the brand itself. If the OP's observation is accurate, the corporate crew visiting the store wasn't just talking about restructuring Fusions; they were talking about restructuring the brand. Worrying does no good, of course, since this kind of thing is beyond one's control, but it's still interesting to see how it all goes. I can't predict how this will play out, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet on some changes to the core products, and probably not for the better. Big corporations generally take it as an article of faith that change is good, and maintaining the status quo is stagnation. Time will tell.

 

[RazorPete]

Eight months isn't all that long. It could be it has taken them this long just to coordinate the managerial changes, and now they're starting to look at what changes they can make to the brand itself. If the OP's observation is accurate, the corporate crew visiting the store wasn't just talking about restructuring Fusions; they were talking about restructuring the brand. Worrying does no good, of course, since this kind of thing is beyond one's control, but it's still interesting to see how it all goes. I can't predict how this will play out, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet on some changes to the core products, and probably not for the better. Big corporations generally take it as an article of faith that change is good, and maintaining the status quo is stagnation. Time will tell.

Sounds plausible that a shake up could still be in the works at AOS. Well if P&G does eventually screw up the AOS product line, it will just be to the gain of Nancyboy, Castle Forbes and all the other great soaps and creams from the venders on this site. Like you say worrying is not neccessary.

 

[Stubblefield]

the sales guy said a team from corporate was visiting to see how best to restructure the brand.

That's corporate-speak for "siphoning all the good ideas off and licensing the name to WalMart/Sears."

All in the name of Added Value, of course.

 

[gollum83]

Eight months isn't all that long. It could be it has taken them this long just to coordinate the managerial changes, and now they're starting to look at what changes they can make to the brand itself. If the OP's observation is accurate, the corporate crew visiting the store wasn't just talking about restructuring Fusions; they were talking about restructuring the brand. Worrying does no good, of course, since this kind of thing is beyond one's control, but it's still interesting to see how it all goes. I can't predict how this will play out, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet on some changes to the core products, and probably not for the better. Big corporations generally take it as an article of faith that change is good, and maintaining the status quo is stagnation. Time will tell.

Until they actually do do something, everything is purely speculative. It is not worth getting everyone worked up about it.