Latest offerings captivate consumers, prompt growth in shave category

Drug Store News, March 1, 2004 by Molly Prior

There's a riddle circulating among players in the blades and razors business: How many blades does it take to drive category sales? The answer, as many retailers have found, depends less on blade count and more on promotional and marketing activity surrounding the latest generation of wet shavers.

Retailer buyers contend that consumers often are captivated by the newest razor on the market. Case in point: Gillette Venus unit sales across food, drug and mass dipped 6.7 percent to 4.7 million units during the 52-week period ended Dec. 28. Meanwhile, sales of Schick s newer women's razor, Intuition, sold 3.1 million units, a 14.4 percent gain, according to Information Resources Inc. data.

Next month, both Gillette and Schick will introduce new twists to their women's razors. Gillette's Venus Divine, which will retail for $8.50 to $9.50, offers women an even-closer, more comfortable shave than its predecessor, according to Mary Ann Pesce, vice president of global business management for the Gillette Co. The sapphire blue, opalescent razor has comfort-coated blades--better for sensitive areas, such as the bikini line, according to the company--an aloe-enriched moisture strip and a redesigned handle.

Schick will add Intuition Cucumber Melon in a normal and a dry formula to its lineup of all-in-one razors--the Intuition's blades are surrounded with a thick conditioning strip that lathers when wet. Schick Intuition sells for a suggested retail price of $7.99.

Bic, a shave brand all too happy to stay under the radar in the battle of the blades, also is gearing up for a major, women's triple-blade launch this spring.

This month, Bic Soleil, available in a pack of four disposable razors ranging in color from yellow to vibrant orange, will debut in the shave aisle for a suggested retail price of $4.99. The curvaceous, sun-colored razors, which mirror spring fashion trends, are expected to appeal to teens and Hispanic women in particular. Bruce Bartolucci, national customer development manager for lighters and shavers at Bic, told Drug Store News that last year's success of Bic's Comfort 3 helped secure shelf space for Soleil--especially in the wake of major launches from both Gillette and Schick.

Bic will step up marketing support for the new razor by launching a "Girls Night Out" sweepstakes, featuring the "most famous legs in America," the Radio City Rockets. The sweepstakes, which promises the winner a trip to New York, a makeover and a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, will run between August and November.

In Bartolucci's view, the disposable three-blade razor segment remains the most underdeveloped in the category. Retailers, namely Rite Aid, already have started launching their own store-branded versions. Three-blade razors continue to spawn the greatest growth. Last year, the three-blade segment--including systems and disposables--exceeded 50 percent growth over 2002, Bartolucci said.

Gillette, the overall leader in the razor category, is sticking with three blades to drive sales. The comp, any will follow the September launch of Schick s four-blade Quattro with the three-blade M3Power, a battery-operated, wet-shave razor said to outperform all razors in its class--including Gillette's own Mach3Turbo. Gillette expects M3Power, which will be available in May for a suggested retail price of $14.99, to substantially fuel growth in the blade and razor category, the same way Mach3Turbo has over the last two years, said Peter Hoffman, president of Gillette s blades and razor division. In its first year, Mach3Turbo achieved $300 million in sales. Last month, Gillette implemented a 2.8 percent price increase over the entire franchise. Hoffman added that M3Power is looking for shelf space at the expense of competitive brands, rather then fellow Gillette razors.

Schick, meanwhile, continues to promote its four-blade razor as the most advanced razor for men.

Whether three blades or four blades defines the cutting edge in shaving is a matter for the consumer to decide. In the meantime, new offerings from the major players should guarantee that growth in the shaving category remains sharp.