Is the movement getting bigger?

[monkeyman]

Do you think it could ever be possible for Gillette to introduce a new DE shaver if the DE shaving craze were to ever get bigger? I think Gillette is missing an opportunity to make some money off us DE shavers, that is if there are a lot of us.

I'm not sure if DE shaving is all that popular across the country right now or not. For some reason I keep comparing my love of DE shaving to the same love I had with cigars back in the 90's. Back then I had to buy the humidor along with the perfect cutter and lighter. DE shaving for me is no different, it's just this time around it's razors, blades, brushes and creams. Well, it is different in the respect that I enjoy DE shaving much more and I can't get cancer from it.

Does anyone have any quantifiable data to show if DE shaving will become the same hit that cigar smoking was? After looking on eBay and reading some of the postings here, I'm seeing that the prices of antique razors are going up. Could this be an indication of bigger things to come?

 

[TSWebster]

Any new release by Gillette would be a molded plastic affair, they would never want to spend the capital required to rebuild the equipment and production lines for metal razors.

That or they'd try and buy Merkur.

 

[mdunn]

I dont think theyd want to let the masses know they dont have to buy expensive branded cartridges.

 

[soapbox]

I dont think theyd want to let the masses know they dont have to buy expensive branded cartridges.

Figure there's about 125 million US males of shaving age; subtract a few percent for those who grow and maintain beards, and then consider that B&B, as impressive as it is, has 10,000 users worldwide. Also, as noted above, Gillette is now in the molded plastic business rather than the drilled and stamped brass and metal plating business. It's great that we, as a shaving community, can support a number of small vendors, and this niche can still prosper without needing any input from huge multinational corporations. I think, as others have noted, we're lumped in with the beard-growers by the big razor manufacturers.

 

[Zach V.]

I dont think theyd want to let the masses know they dont have to buy expensive branded cartridges.

+1

I don't think their profit margins would benefit from marketing DE, not when they are charging 2 to 4 dollars or whatever for cartridges. Other DE blade companies would still sell their blades at 10 to 50 cents, and leave them in the cold. All the while, sales on MACH stuff would plummet.

 

[Lefty]

Actually it would be a good move for them. It is called Diversification. They are still making oodles of dollars off those much-hated cartridges...why not make a few dollars off us wetshaving nuts? Some marketing geek might get that through their heads and get a DE product rolling. Or not, that's just the way it goes.

 

[OldSaw]

If they could make a single blade cartridge for "sensitive skin" and position it correctly in the market I think it would fly. After all, BIC is still selling their single blade disposable. A single blade cartridge with a pivoting head on a handle more robust than the BIC, like the Schick FX would get my attention. I would definitely use them for travel as they would be allowed in carry on bags.

 

[OldSaw]

Actually it would be a good move for them. It is called Diversification. They are still making oodles of dollars off those much-hated cartridges...why not make a few dollars off us wetshaving nuts? Some marketing geek might get that through their heads and get a DE product rolling. Or not, that's just the way it goes.

Procter & Gamble, which owns Gillette, will not keep a brand that does not move at least one million shipping units a year. I don't know how many razors fit into a shipping unit, but that's a lot of razors. It could be done though, if done carefully as in my other post above.

 

[Zach V.]

Actually it would be a good move for them. It is called Diversification. They are still making oodles of dollars off those much-hated cartridges...why not make a few dollars off us wetshaving nuts? Some marketing geek might get that through their heads and get a DE product rolling. Or not, that's just the way it goes.

My 2 cents:

Diversification, in this situation, would cause them to lose a ton of money. I find it difficult to believe that many of the mach people wouldn't cross over permanently to DE, and that would be the last thing that they would want; the over-priced foo fooey cartridges is where they make their money. I'm sure that their own panel of marketing experts (people who are much smarter, much higher paid than either of us I'm guessing, and whose livelihoods depend on coming up with good ideas) have mulled this idea over more than once; if they could make money doing it, they would have done it already. As far as making money off of us wet shaving nuts, they already sell a DE blade.

Not to mention the costs of implementing the new production equipment and all of the logistical issues and problems that would go along with it, as was previously mentioned by others.

Bottom line: I don't think there will ever be modern Gillette safety razor side by side with the mach stuff in retail stores.

Something like old saw mentioned above might work though.

 

[_JP_]

Gillette still markets DE blades. Until the sales of those blades skyrocket there isn't a chance that they will ever produce another DE razor.

 

[henchmen77]

The days of Gillette making a good product are long gone. All they want is to make a fast buck and don't care about the product they make as long as people buy it.

It would cost them to much to making the tooling to make a good razor its cheaper for them to make there plastic junk that they do. Like anything else we have to look out of the US to like the germans for a good products. Made in the USA just does not mean anything like it did the the 40's or 50's not its all about making it for less and selling it for more.

 

[stobes21]

The reason they moved out of the DE business in the first place is that they lost their patents on DE blades, and could no longer make a sufficient profit off of blades (the basis of the Gillette business model for a century). Gillette is selling cartridges that cost the same or perhaps a cent or two more to make than did DE blades, and yet are selling them for $2-$4 a pop. Maybe they could convince DE users to buy DE blades at $.50 a pop, but even that cuts their profits per blade to a quarter or an eighth of what they are now, not to mention gives up the exclusive right to make blades for their razors.

Gillette's long term plans are to move into emerging markets where DEs are still popular and get people to switch to cartridges. There is no way in h*ll they are going to go the opposite direction in a market where cartridges already enjoy almost complete dominance. The only things that are going to change in the US market from Gillette are more blades, more gizmos, more gimmicks, and higher prices. The era of DE shaving in the US has passed. We are, and forever will be, at best a niche market.

 

[htownmmm]

I dont think theyd want to let the masses know they dont have to buy expensive branded cartridges.

+1

I don't think their profit margins would benefit from marketing DE, not when they are charging 2 to 4 dollars or whatever for cartridges. Other DE blade companies would still sell their blades at 10 to 50 cents, and leave them in the cold. All the while, sales on MACH stuff would plummet.

And we all know that a big corporation like Proctor and Gamble is willing to make less money to keep their shareholders happy!

marty

 

[OldSaw]

And we all know that a big corporation like Proctor and Gamble is willing to make less money to keep their shareholders happy!

marty

Please allow me one little pet peeve. It is Procter not Proctor, despite your spell checkers preference. As a share holder, as small as that may be, and former employee it just bugs me.

Even though I am nit picking, I am not upset. Most spell checkers get it wrong.

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Actually it would be a good move for them. It is called Diversification. They are still making oodles of dollars off those much-hated cartridges...why not make a few dollars off us wetshaving nuts? Some marketing geek might get that through their heads and get a DE product rolling. Or not, that's just the way it goes.

It's called Return On Investment. When the corporate bean counters figure out they can make their minimum required rate of return by producing and selling DE shaving equipment and supplies, they will.

 

[john.crissman]

Chances are very slim Gillette would sign off on a new metal DE razor that could last 50-80 years with everyday use.

As with most public companies, they want to introduce whole system sale. If they did introduce something similar to the old DE, it would use proprietary blades available only through Gillette and create more discontent than the current system.

Actually, I am proud to be a part of this growing, yet niche market of male grooming. Most of the companies (competitors included) that serve this market are small and made up of honest, hard working individuals devoted to better products and good service.

Lastly, while I would love to see another company DE razor with the high quality of Merkur or older Gillettes, I would rather see it from a whole new source.

 

[Shane]

Gillette would not do it, nor would Schick. They've funneled exorbitant amounts of money into their multi-bladed razors, and the production costs for machining and manufacturing all-metal DEs and DE blades probably blow away how much it costs to make a plastic razor and multi-blade cartridge. The shaving industry in general is a "loss leader" type of industry; they sell the razors at a loss but make everything and then some back in the blades you'll need to purchase in order to replace the dull ones. It's simple, Gillette and Schick don't go back to the old way because the profit margins of the new way are massive.

 

[rm71]

The days of Gillette making a good product are long gone. All they want is to make a fast buck and don't care about the product they make as long as people buy it.

It would cost them to much to making the tooling to make a good razor its cheaper for them to make there plastic junk that they do. Like anything else we have to look out of the US to like the germans for a good products. Made in the USA just does not mean anything like it did the the 40's or 50's not its all about making it for less and selling it for more.

Amen brother.

 

[Eagle]

The simple truth is the market isn't there for mass marketing these products. We 10k on B&B and the other 10k or so DE shavers out there don't amount to much. Like somebody else said; we are just enough to keep niche vendors in business. Start telling everyone you know about your shaving habits and 9 out of 10 will tell you that you're crazy. The masses are not willing to dedicate the time and attention to shaving that we do. They view the Fusion and Mach 3 as advancements in technology to be embraced. Nothing wrong with that if they're satisfied. We few just happen to disagree. We merry few; we band of brothers. {queue melodramatic music and cheesy voiceover}. I voiced this opinion in another post as well: I kind of like being in this unique little club of ours. In this small way we are set apart from others and enjoy a secret pleasure. My opinion anyway.

 

[ColbyPants]

Start telling everyone you know about your shaving habits and 9 out of 10 will tell you that you're crazy. The masses are not willing to dedicate the time and attention to shaving that we do.

+1, exactly.

The average user doesnt want a satisfying, luxurious shave. They dont want it to help their complexion. They dont even necessarily care if it is cheap. They want their shaving to be passable, easy, and most importantly, QUICK. Shaving is a chore, to be dispensed with ASAP. The market will not get a new DE from Gillette or any of the big suppliers in the States, because the vast majority of people (who these people cater to), frankly, do not want one.