Some great pricing moves by Gillette

I'll keep my Dorco Pace 3. Even with the price cuts, it's still cheaper than Gillette and just as good.

 

Never happen.

 

I was at ShopRite yesterday and noticed something new in the shaving section. Gillette is now marketing a "Gillette 3" and "Gillette 5" razor and blades. Oddly, these seem to be just Mach 3 and Fusion 5 hardware in a more generic packaging and are being sold right along side the Mach3 and Fusion 5.

Anybody know what's up with that?

 

I would agree with that, but will add that a GOOD shaving cartridge CAN shave more consistently good only because carts are (let's be honest) largely idiot-proofed from issues like angle...just apply to face and pull. DEs are like what my old drivers ed teacher said is the definition of steering: constant, minute course corrections. That makes DE shaving slightly more work, but also more fun.

Having done side by side DE/cart comparisons, I've long said it is indeed possible to get a cart shave that, going by look and feel, ends up indistinguishable from the best DE shave.

 

Exactly. The whole reason Gillette got into carts was because Personna was killing them in blades, so they made a design that forced you to buy only their blades. I don't see them getting into making safety razors because there's not enough money in it. Why sell a razor that will last you the rest of your life when they can reinvent the cart every 5 years and sell you a handle that only fits the new blades?

 

Agree. Cart is no better or worse than DE. DE is cheaper but carts are pretty much idiot proof. A DE with a can of Barbasol is dirt cheap.

 

Okay, so I decided to look up the Gillette3 an Gillette5 on gillette.com. As best as I can tell, they are budget-minded offerings ("High Performance, Low Price") whose defining feature is a "360° Aqua Grip™ handle for total control, even when wet".

Now, for those who might wonder if Gillette is just phoning it in at this point, the description of the Gillette3 begins with the line: "Gillette3 men’s razor features 3 blades for better comfort (vs. Sensor3)". I'll pass on the questionable grammar and point out that they are comparing it to a razor which they rendered "obsolete" almost twenty years ago as opposed to the Mach3 which replaced the Sensor3 and is still being sold. Further, this line is pretty much lifted from the Mach3 description.

Extra-credit question: Can someone show me the place in the Mach3 and Mach3 Turbo descriptions that actually says what the difference between the two is?

 

Supposedly, the blades in the turbo are thinner for a smoother shave.

 

That, and (not that I think Gillette/Unilever/Whoever in charge really would care) but it would repudiate 50 years of marketing that carts like the Trac II were superior to Gillette's own DE technology. I've made that point here many times and stand by it.

If Gillette thought it would be worth doing they'd do it...but how can you transition billions of consumers THAT YOU CREATED from "the latest and greatest snazzy looking shaver with LEDs and vibrators" to -- at best -- an adjustable one-bladed TTO?

Answer: you can't.

 

The only way would be to come out with a Classic line and try to spin it as a novelty.

 

There all supposed to be able to do that now, I thought.

 

Right...but at what profit, given new research/tooling/marketing/advertising vs end sales? Wouldn't be worth it for them unless they were intending to do it at a loss, which no company would.

Speaking of, whatever happened with that AoS Tech debut? Was it all really just a prank?

 

I would have thought so, too. If so, it only underlines the issue that Gillette must be facing- how to create uniqueness where none exists.

OTOH, I would have loved to see the internal memo if it wasn't the case. "We have determined that, under certain conditions, a potential exists for the user to lose control of the razor handle presenting a possibility for catastrophic injury."

 

No doubt. Whereas in the '20s through the '80s, it was assumed even a novice DE user knew to keep control of the implement. Oh, how far we've fallen.

 

I'd say it was more like, "how can we convince people of that?"

 

I don't think the AoS Tech was a prank. My personal theory is that it was real and was scheduled to launch as part of that marketing push which showed the crossed hands, one holding a Tech. At one point, they rumors said that "they" were unhappy with the results and had to redesign the razor, pushing back the launch. My personal guess is that one of two things occurred; either a) some kind of issues with production and manufacturing yields (see Rockwell Razors) or b) some kind of fail with focus groups (perhaps users of modern DE razors don't like the feel of a Tech?). Add to that the negative feedback in the forums regarding proposed pricing and somebody at AoS probably decided to pull the plug and cut their losses.

As for re-entering the US DE market, Gillette could actually do it fairly cheaply. They already make a branded Tech clone for the Chinese market (Gillette Super Blue Blade) and the Russian market (Rubie Platinum Plus) as well as an unbranded one for the Indian market (7 o'Clock Sterling). (There is probably a Nacet or Minora version that I don't know about as well.) It would be a simple matter to blister pack one of those along with a 3-pack of the Platinum Plus blades and price it well below the VdH offerings. That said, they don't have a good reason to do it, just that they do already have the resources if they wanted to.

 

Fwiw, I actually think the Mach 3 and Fusion are fantastic shavers, I just hate how overpriced the blades are. I'll only but them when Target has them on sale.
As much as I love my DE and my straight, when I fly, a cart or disposable is an acceptable alternative.

 

The history of wet shaving since the late 19th century has been about improving the shave while removing any requirement on the skill of the operator. The development of the cart was just another step in a process that included Injectors and Speed-Packs.

 

If it got far enough for a test run, it's probably a matter of time until a prototype AoS Tech shows up in someone's hands. That'll be a fun read.

I agree but, again, it's a matter of getting it into enough westerners' minds that DE is a viable shaving option that isn't dangerous just because you have to handle an exposed blade (most won't like that) AND that there's no learning curve (even though there is) AND that it will perform at least as well as carts (which it can, given learning curve). That'd be the trick and I doubt they could pull it off.

 

Speaking of planned obsolescence,

http://www.centennialbulb.org/cam.htm