Gilette and Shick
- Thread starter jbc
- Start date
They aren't as profitable or "user friendly" as cartridge razors.
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- #3
Money is 100% the reason. Once technology advanced to the point of cartridges, the model switched from being (relatively) expensive razors and cheap blades to cheap razors and expensive blades (which they sell alot more of).
Dennis
Dennis
Antique Hoosier
“Aircooled”
I believe you pose an interesting question. Truly it is an economies of scale decision. Gillette in particular operates on what is termed "Total Brand Value" and they satuarate the market with their products much like Coca Cola treats it's competitors. In the era however of automaker retooling old concepts like the Ford Mustang and a proposed Camaro that will harken to the past, one wonders why they wouldn't offer a premium "Fat Boy" for instance. I believe the question can be answered that they see more profit in what they are currently doing which is what Proctor & Gamble suggested in their 2005 purchase of the company for over 50 BILLION dollars. A retro DE Razor wouldn't provide the revenue stream necessary for it to come to fruition.
What has happened here is the same thing happens across many industries. After a period of time product can seem to become stale. "Everybody" has one, ho-hum, nothing special about it. And other companies are making similar products that look, feel, and do that same thing. So constant development goes on to improve the product line, or at least give the perception of some improvement and get people excited about it again. The auto industry is a huge example of this. After all, a car is four wheels with a shell on top that gets you to where you want to go. Even when the model of the car has been around for years, it still gets a different dressing every model year to make it look different.
Antique Hoosier
“Aircooled”
JP...I think the auto industry may be the next Safety Razor...Not "changing" things as much as you may think. Here are scanned pics of Ford Crown Victorias the Gillette Fat Boy of the auto world....pretty much the same 2001 to 2007.
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- #8
IMHO I can add only a few possibilities:
1) Proprietary - DEs use a non-proprietary technology that is cheap and easy for anyone to make. Its a little hard to increase the prices if any tom, dick or harry can come in and sell the same thing for less money. Cartridges offer an oportunity to make the technology proprietary, available from only one source. That way Gilette and Shick can increase prices and lock out hte competition. One of the reasons why I use a DE.
2) Lower production costs - the DE blades are hard to work with. The catridge blades are primarily plastic and easier to manipulate. Leading to lower production costs.
Add these two things together and one gets a picture that is bad for the consumer but excellent for the producer.
Wanted to pose this theroy and see what forum members think. If this is the case the next question is why has the majority stuck with the cartridge razors even though they are a raw deal for the consumer. I can see two
1) Advertising - "The best that a man can get" says Gilette.
2) Positioning - Go in your local drug store and one will see the cartridge razors front and center
3) Ignorance - Just don't know about the DE razors - the simple reason why Badger and Blade is here.
1) Proprietary - DEs use a non-proprietary technology that is cheap and easy for anyone to make. Its a little hard to increase the prices if any tom, dick or harry can come in and sell the same thing for less money. Cartridges offer an oportunity to make the technology proprietary, available from only one source. That way Gilette and Shick can increase prices and lock out hte competition. One of the reasons why I use a DE.
2) Lower production costs - the DE blades are hard to work with. The catridge blades are primarily plastic and easier to manipulate. Leading to lower production costs.
Add these two things together and one gets a picture that is bad for the consumer but excellent for the producer.
Wanted to pose this theroy and see what forum members think. If this is the case the next question is why has the majority stuck with the cartridge razors even though they are a raw deal for the consumer. I can see two
1) Advertising - "The best that a man can get" says Gilette.
2) Positioning - Go in your local drug store and one will see the cartridge razors front and center
3) Ignorance - Just don't know about the DE razors - the simple reason why Badger and Blade is here.
If the business model is giving away the razor so you can sell the blade, then why give away an expensive razor and sell a cheap blade? I'm surprised it took them that long to figure it out.
I agree. Once they realized that people will pay way more for the cartridge, and not even complain about it (under the misapprehension that they were getting a better shave), Gillette and others realized they could completely phase out the lowly blade, and the relatively expensive razors (which they were, more or less, giving away).
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- #11
Well, not only did they abandon the DE design, but also the SE design as we know it.
I think the reason is obvious: regular, long-term use of cocaine and other CNS stimulants, made it unsafe for their marketing/QA personnel to safely handle and/or change DE blades, and prevented them from easily inserting the SE injector-blades' dispenser-key into the razor head's slot (note: there is probably a positive correlation between this and the falling birthrate, since the 1980s).
You be the judge; I'm just sayin'...
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- #14
I think there's a bit of historical context too...the cartridge and disposable razors came out at a time where all manner of other products were marketed as more modern, more disposable, etc.
A quick example might be the disposable air cleaner housings on Chevy Vegas in the Early 1970's. But beyond that, there's all the plastic furniture and similar consumer products in the late 1960's-1970's.
A quick example might be the disposable air cleaner housings on Chevy Vegas in the Early 1970's. But beyond that, there's all the plastic furniture and similar consumer products in the late 1960's-1970's.
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- #16
