Just spotted Gillette's newest razor!

[rogueinfomaniac]

While catching up on the news during my day off I caught an article that I think everyone here will find interesting. Gillette has just released a new razor... only available in India...for 11 cents each!! It looks like its a simple single blade disposable cart, its good to see the multi-blade giant come out with something with one blade. Now... who knows someone in India who can get us a few to try?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704789404575524273890970954.html


edit: looks like I was a bit late on my discovery... oops sorry for starting a new thread when we have on going already

 

[kingfisher]

It's a gateway drug.

They'll try to get everybody hooked on the single-blade cartridge razor, and then in a year or so they'll tell them that two blades are better than one, and so on, and so on, ad infinitum.

Looks like a pretty nice little razor, though. I'd love to be able to compare it to a Bic Sensitive. To my knowledge, this is the only true cartridge razor that only has one blade. Sweet.

 

[cswann1]

If a guy with a typical beard can get three shaves from one cart, this looks pretty good. But P&G knows better than to sell in the US it seems. They know that the average American male is a sucker for advertising and foolish with his money

 

[K.T.]

If the typical Indian shaver is anything like my old college roommate, Rocky, Gillette will make up for the lower price in sales volume. He had to shave twice a day to be anywhere presentable! It was his bane, and he lamented it.

I don't know if that's typical for Indian males. Rocky was a consistently hairy guy, though, that's for sure.

 

[life2short1971]

I'll stick with my straights and my Merkur Progress thanks

 

[FL shaver]

Gillette commands about 70% of the world's razor and blade sales, but it lags behind rivals in India and other developing markets, mainly because those consumers can't afford to buy its flagship products.

No surprise there....

 

[michiganlover]

Interesting looking design. Almost has a comb on it like the original Gillette DE razors:

(photo courtesy of the Wall Street Journal article; saved to my photobucket for safe keeping.)

 

[rsaltonstall]

Interesting looking design. Almost has a comb on it like the original Gillette DE razors:

Looks like an open comb disposable!

 

[rsaltonstall]

Interesting looking design. Almost has a comb on it like the original Gillette DE razors:

Look's like Michiganlover got here first.

 

[rsaltonstall]

I wonder if the original Sensor head can fit on that handle. Three years from now when men all over the whole Subcontinent are using this new razor, they find out that these single-blade headss are no longer manufactured and must turn to a "new and better two-blade head design." What ever happened to all those original Sensor heads; are they all in storage warehouses in India?

 

[DunEdinRanger]

I wouldn't mind trying one of those razors...

 

[treewhale]

I wouldn't mind trying one of those razors...

Maybe we need to find us a source in India...

 

[TheSentinel]

I don't know if that's typical for Indian males.

Based on the few in my circle of friends, I'm pretty sure that most 15 year old Indians can grow a beard that puts Grizzly Adams to shame.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Hideous

 

[bladebuff]

Seems like the right time to order some DE blades.

 

[ShaveAddict]

Maybe Manish from Maharaja shave can stock up on that for those of us who wants to try it?

 

[michiganlover]

Maybe Manish from Maharaja shave can stock up on that for those of us who wants to try it?

I sent him a heads up PM about this new cartridge razor letting him know he would be a popular dude around here if he offered these up for sale.

It's probably just the joy of trying something new, but I really want to take this single bladed cartridge razor for a spin.

 

[ShaveAddict]

I sent him a heads up PM about this new cartridge razor letting him know he would be a popular dude around here if he offered these up for sale.

It's probably just the joy of trying something new, but I really want to take this single bladed cartridge razor for a spin.

Im with you , im a sucker for new razors

 

[Woofbark]

A few years ago, they introduced something similar in India called the Vector. I don't believe it was successful. Chances are this won't be successful either. I believe the majority of india still uses the DE razors. I don't know an exact percentage. At least 4 times a year I'll buy new DE razors and give them to people as presents. I also give them about 25 blades then tell them where to get more blades when they need them.
If all the DE users would do this, it would help to keep DE shaving popular. Finding a couple of celebrities that use DE razors would also be helpful in keeping DE shaving alive. People tend to use whatever they see a celebrity using. Babe Ruth helped by doing ads for Barbasol products.

 

[Mr. Beaver]

Quote below is from Yahoo News. One of the more interesting quotes:

Gillette Guard is aiming to lure users of double-edge razors, about 400 million men in India, ...

Link

Gillette's Latest Innovation in Razors: the 11-Cent Blade
by Ellen Byron
Friday, October 1, 2010

Gillette's newest shaving system has just one blade, a light plastic handle and a sharply lower price. And it isn't available in the U.S.

The Gillette Guard, the latest razor from the Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG - News) unit, instead will begin hitting stores in India next week.

The move by the maker of five-bladed, battery-powered gizmos reflects P&G's aggressive push into emerging markets for new customers and growth. That focus is forcing P&G to be more modest on scale and more flexible on price.

Gillette commands about 70% of the world's razor and blade sales, but it lags behind rivals in India and other developing markets, mainly because those consumers can't afford to buy its flagship products.

The stripped-down Gillette Guard is designed to be affordable. The razor costs 15 rupees, or 34 cents, and uses blades that cost five rupees, or 11 cents.

By contrast, the Mach 3 blades that Gillette has been selling in India cost about 100 rupees, around $2.24.

"The first job is to bring more consumers into Gillette," says Alberto Carvalho, P&G's vice president of male grooming in emerging markets. "When they start enjoying a better shave, they'll be more open to all solutions."

Gillette Guard is aiming to lure users of double-edge razors, about 400 million men in India, according to P&G estimates. In India, a brand called Super-Max holds the lead in double-edge blades, which cost roughly 1.5 to 2 rupees, which is half of the cost of even Gillette Guard.

Winning over low-income consumers in developing markets is crucial to the growth strategy of P&G's chief executive, Robert McDonald. Over the next five years, Mr. McDonald wants to boost the company's total customer base for its many products to five billion of the world's expected population of seven billion. Many of these new consumers will have to come from markets like India, where P&G has a small presence compared to Unilever PLC (NYSE: UN - News) and some other competitors.

The need to grow in emerging markets is pushing P&G to change its product-development strategy. In the past, P&G would sell basically the same premium Pampers diapers, Crest toothpaste or Olay moisturizers in developing countries, where only the wealthiest consumers could afford them. To reach more consumers, P&G changed course by creating pared-down products specifically designed to be less expensive, like Naturella's extra-absorbent, cotton feminine-hygiene pads and Downy Single Rinse fabric softener, which requires less water.

P&G uses what it calls reverse engineering. Rather than create an item and then assign a price to it—as in most developed markets—the company starts with what consumers can afford and then adjusts the features and manufacturing processes to meet the target.

For Gillette Guard, the target was five rupees, about the cost of shampoo sachets or small tubes of toothpaste. The price takes into account not only consumers but the kiosk owners who serve most shoppers in developing markets. The lower cost will encourage more small store owners to stock up on the item, P&G hopes.

To cut costs, P&G eliminated the lubrication strip and colorful handle designs Indian men weren't willing to pay for. Though most men in the U.S. and Western Europe prefer a heavy razor handle, P&G found Indian men prefer a lighter weight, which also cut costs.

P&G has a lot of ground to make up in India, where it estimates just 10% of men who shave use Gillette blades, compared with about 50% world-wide. Its plan is to get men to start using its products and then upgrade them as India's economy grows.

The back-to-basics approach in India contrasts with P&G's shaving strategy in developed markets, where an arms race of blades and battery power has produced devices that have become targets for comedy writers.

In June, P&G launched its most expensive razor yet in the U.S, the Fusion ProGlide. A four-pack of the manual cartridges sells for $16.99, about a 15% premium to regular Fusion blades. P&G says the Fusion ProGlide is now its best-selling razor.

P&G will introduce Gillette Guard first in emerging markets, says Mr. Carvalho, who doesn't rule out the possibility of bringing the cheaper razor to developed markets like the U.S. "We haven't yet looked in a detailed way if it makes sense doing this in developed markets," he says. "We'll probably know that in the next six to 12 months."