P&G Acquires Bevel

[nEver-Ready]

"The combination of Walker & Company's (Bevel's maker) deep consumer understanding, authentic connection to its community and unique, highly customized products and P&G's highly-skilled and experienced people, resources, technical capabilities and global scale will allow us to further improve the lives of the world's multicultural consumers," Alex Keith, CEO of P&G Beauty, said in a statement.
Walker & Company will operate as a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble and Walker will continue to serve as its CEO. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

As a man of color, Tristan Walker couldn't find a razor that worked. So he created Bevel - CNN

 

[GearNoir]

No offense to anyone that likes Bevel products...but this further solidified for me how out of tune P&G is with our niche market. More reason to help fellow shaving folks realize there’s more than box store shave items available.

 

[ScottChapin]

Just give us our Old Spice shaving soap pucks and mugs for cryin’ out loud.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nEver-Ready]

No offense to anyone that likes Bevel products...but this further solidified for me how out of tune P&G is with our niche market. More reason to help fellow shaving folks realize there’s more than box store shave items available.

I also thought given all companies making better quality DE and SE razors, brushes, and associated grooming consumables, the acquisition seemed more about marketing and target demographics than performance, quality, or value. I guess nothing wrong with that if that's what brings in the $$$.

 

[Canadian Mountain Man]

"The combination of Walker & Company's (Bevel's maker) deep consumer understanding, authentic connection to its community and unique, highly customized products"​

Ya, cause when I'm looking for a company to fulfill all those traits I think of P&G (or any other massive multinational CPG company).

 

[rockviper]

Getting bought out in a competitive industry like this is probably the best long-term payoff for the entrepreneur.

 

[nEver-Ready]

Getting bought out in a competitive industry like this is probably the best long-term payoff for the entrepreneur.

Absolutely. Would not doubt that he made more on the transaction than most of the artisans we patronize will make on their craft in their collective lifetimes.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Why have competition? Just buy em out, increase your market share.

 

[nEver-Ready]

Absolutely. Would not doubt that he made more on the transaction than most of the artisans we patronize will make on their craft in their collective lifetimes.

FYI - I found another article that valued the deal at about $40 million.

 

[nEver-Ready]

Why have competition? Just buy em out, increase your market share.

Looks like P&G may actually have an interest in actually exploiting the product/market niche as opposed to just stifling it: "In Walker & Company Brands, Procter & Gamble acquires the cachet of an emerging player in health and beauty focused on serving the country’s growing multicultural customer base. Last year, P&G rival Unilever acquired Sundial Brands, the maker of personal care products popular among women of color." (Procter & Gamble has acquired the startup aiming to build the Procter & Gamble for people of color)

 

[Bogeyman]

Looks like P&G may actually have an interest in actually exploiting the product/market niche as opposed to just stifling it: "In Walker & Company Brands, Procter & Gamble acquires the cachet of an emerging player in health and beauty focused on serving the country’s growing multicultural customer base. Last year, P&G rival Unilever acquired Sundial Brands, the maker of personal care products popular among women of color." (Procter & Gamble has acquired the startup aiming to build the Procter & Gamble for people of color)

Bingo. The Bevel razor is simply a Chinese razor "dolled up" in a pretty box with gimmicky shave cream, etc. and sold for an exorbitant price.

 

[ateace]

This is a razor developed by a man of color and it is marketed to that demographic. Gillette wants to tap in to the "multicultural" market. Seems like a good move for them since this is their way of admitting that they are out of touch with the needs of those shavers. Let's see what their true intentions are.

I can't determine if this is truly a specialized product (maybe special blades?) or just a new DE.

 

[DEATHMgck]

That didn't take long

 

[johnwick]

This is a razor developed by a man of color and it is marketed to that demographic. Gillette wants to tap in to the "multicultural" market. Seems like a good move for them since this is their way of admitting that they are out of touch with the needs of those shavers. Let's see what their true intentions are.

I can't determine if this is truly a specialized product (maybe special blades?) or just a new DE.

I too have been curious as to whether this razor is truly different, and would work better for African Americans, than the plethora of razors we discuss here at B&B every day. Do we have any members who owns one and tell us whether there’s anything inherently different about the razor? I will tell you, I looked at the brush at Target and it was a travesty.

Nevertheless, congratulations to the gentleman who designed the razor and found the marketing niche to make it succeed. My understanding is that African Americans struggle with their curly facial hair, and it’s great that the entrepreneur brought a DE shaver to market to get folks interested in a better shave. Will be interesting to see what Gillette does with it.

 

[BigJ]

Just give us our Old Spice shaving soap pucks and mugs for cryin’ out loud.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1!! There is a good market in used OS mugs, etc!

 

[ScottChapin]

+1!! There is a good market in used OS mugs, etc!

I treasure my mug from 1972. It’s still in rotation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Twelvefret]

Is there a separate market for men and women of African decent? Apparently the entrepreneur thought so. Did he invent a razor that met the needs of men of African decent or as a person of African decent did he capitalize on a percept and relationship with men of African decent.

I love marketing and applaud him for seeing an unmet need. I question of whether is actually met the need or convinced men that he had.

 

[Bogeyman]

Here's a clue for the business savvy:

Seven Reasons why Unilever bought Dollar Shave Club

 

[Ad Astra]

Throw money at the problem; no need to actually innovate.

AA

 

[nEver-Ready]

This is a razor developed by a man of color and it is marketed to that demographic. Gillette wants to tap in to the "multicultural" market. Seems like a good move for them since this is their way of admitting that they are out of touch with the needs of those shavers. Let's see what their true intentions are.

I can't determine if this is truly a specialized product (maybe special blades?) or just a new DE.

I have the razor. Seems like a standard, run-of-the-mill mild DE design to me.