Modern Day Gillette Situation Questions

So I know Gillette got out of making DE Razors several years ago. I , as many of you all got into the various multi blade razors through the years. I know that’s where the money is for them right now. So I bring fairly new still i have a few questions.....

1. They have to see this part of the industry is growing rather quickly....any chance they will start making them again to get a piece of that market? If not....why not?

2. So... with the various Double Edge blades that are “ Gillette” ....are they made by Gillette? Are they just putting their name on them? Also curious as to why there are so many Gillette models and made in so many different places.

I’m just confused with the whole situation I guess. Thoughts?

TIA
Jamie


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Seems to me that if Gillette were to get back in the DE game, they'd have to re-think all their marketing since the 70's. They've been saying for decades now that the only way to get a good shave is to add blades...

 

1. Nope, because as you said, "that’s [carts] where the money is for them right now."

2. Everyone else here knows way more about that than I do.

 

It would be an automatic admission if they ever seriously got back into DE razors, that multi ain't necessarily best.

 

It's covered both ways. Gillette is owned by Proctor and Gamble who also own Art of Shaving. They have the corner on overpriced shaving gear no mater how many blades you prefer.

 

The important thing to keep in mind is that the move away from DE razors is primarily a First World thing. In many parts of the world, DE razors and blades are apparently still very common. As a result, Gillette does make various DE blades (and a couple of styles of razor) for those markets.

As for Gillette making a DE push in the US market, as others have said, it is not really in their best interest. That said, they have been marketing a Brazilian-made Platinum Plus blade in the US for several months now. It is even on their website, though you have to dig a bit to find it.

 

Corporations seek to maximize profit and market share. Any other stated motivations are just to make the consumer feel better.

Thus endeth the thread.

 

When you look at the number of traditional shavers compared to all shavers; the number is insignificant. How many guys you know use traditional gear?

 

Exactly! It’s not worth the investment for Gillette. Maybe they would pick up a 2% sales boost. Anything beyond that and they would be cannibalizing on their own multi blade cartridge sales. Gillette is trying to protect its turf from Harry’s Razors.

 

Gillette has no reason to spend at least in the low millions on new design, tooling, production, distribution, market research and advertising just to admit they were wrong when they launched the Trac II and then killed off U.S. DE razor production. The rumors, while fun to amuse each other with, have always stuck me as insane, even when pics of that supposed new Tech showed up (I would have bought if true, but remained dubious).

 

I know we had another thread on this a year or more back, but whatever happened with the reissue of the Tech?

 

IMO they were not wrong when they launched the Trac II. It is an excellent razor. As a matter of fact, I still use it regularly.

YMMV of course.

--
Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.

 

Maybe I'm thinking outside the box here. The reason isn't that they don't just want to make a change here, in the good old USA, and other industrialized European nations, its that it isn't profitable. The reason might be several. One being that heavily industrialized working men, who shave and work, are always in a hurry. Carts are easiest to use when in a hurry, and don't require much prep and time. Second, Carts have made many less skilled, lazy, and scared of change. Looking at DE blades can be intimidating for most, who have never been taught to use them.
Carts might no be the best thing for many men's faces, but they are great for Proctor & Gamble shareholders. Also, many men's faces do just fine with carts. Mine doesn't.

 

No, I don't think our mileage varies on that at all. I think the Trac II is the best cartridge ever. But Gillette would appear to admit that that step (and all that they followed it with) was in error, if they try to seriously reintroduce DE to western markets.

 

They will never admit that the pivoting head, the incompatibility between systems, and the growing amount of blades and whatever strips was a mistake. And from their point of view, it probably was a very profitable strategy indeed.

Their problem is that the patents on the older cartridge systems expired. Now everyone can make those razors and cartridges.

--
Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.

 

Gillette built the cart market on the premise that a single blade in a relatively large holder is retrograde, inefficient technology. A few generations now believe this, and that's assuming most have even heard of single blade shaving.

Gillette built that. Others jumped on. They couldn't undo almost 50 years of marketing brainwashing and consumer habit on a large enough scale to make it worth doing, even if they wanted to.

 

No idea. I figured it for an elaborate prank. Others insist it was for real.

 

Gillette will produce and sell whatever is most profitable. They have to keep changing their product in order to grow sales. They have to make their product more desirable than the competition and keep a step ahead.

Companies have one mandate and that’s to make a profit for their shareholders / owners / investors. Also, this is what makes our IRAs and 401K’s grow in the USA and creates jobs (somewhere). If Gillette went back to the DE razor today, they would have to incur the R&D and marketing costs. Most men would consider this like going back to the Model T. Preposterous! This is the 21st century! Touch an actual blade? We’re not cavemen!

Gillette will not go back to DEs in the western world unless they have evidence of a big enough market share.

Just my 2 cents...

 

I do wish it was for real. Depending on the price, I would have lined up to buy one. All those rumors and nothing happened. After all, I read about it on the internet, so it must have been true.