Last month Energizer, the battery company that owns Schick, announced a 10% fall in men’s razor sales for Q2 2013. Gillette, owned by Proctor & Gamble since a $57 billion deal in 2005, revealed soon after that its razor sales were decreasing in developed markets. Are such brands simply experiencing an unusual blip because recessions and fashion trends have made pricey razors and blades dispensable, or do they need the mother of all makeovers?
Gillette’s business model has long revolved around the concept of trading up. A two-blade razor was first introduced in 1971, and the Mach-3 became the norm in 1998. Ever since, the only way for razors has been up: “If you thought four blades were enough, just look what you could do with five,” runs the marketing spiel. That doesn’t work forever, though—and some consumers are showing the first bristles of discontent.
