So I was in Target yesterday, and noticed that they have Van Der Hagen razors, blades, brushes, and a wetshaving kit. The blades seemed over priced. They don't have just pucks of soap outside of the kit. The razor looks like the microtouch one. Apparently there is enough intrest in wet shaving now that the big reatailers are taking note. This could be a good thing for product avaliblity. Thoughts?
I saw the same at our Target store and also at the local Kroger supermarket. I definitely think it is a good thing and someone must be paying attention to the rise in popularity of DE shaving versus cartridge.
My thought is that this is something local pharmacies carry and something Walmart picked up to compete with them. Target jumped on the band wagon as has some grocery stores. But it seems to stop at VDH products. That's fine but I don't find the soap to be all that great and the razor blades are expensive and pretty poor. So you get a Christmas gift stocking stuffer stuff you likely have to replace to get a good shave. I don't think it really helps out cause. Now, good soap and good blades and they could sell a ton but then they would cut into the cart blades and caned goo where they make a ton of money so that's not likely to happen. I just would not point any of my friends that direction. Someone can get nicely equipped for the same money thru Amazon and they are doing exactly that thanks to boards like this one.
The Target in my neighborhood had that setup last year when I was new. The Target kit plus a blade sampler from WCS was my starter kit. You are correct about the razor. Its is some sort of Microtouch/Weishi rebrand or clone. It is actually a very nice, mild starter razor. I PIF'd it last year, but I still have the black mug and brush. Overall a very nice kit for the new shaver to get started quickly...
Target here in Canada went bankrupt after only a few months of being in business. They refused to learn the Canadian market before opening up hundreds of stores and using the American marketing model, albeit with much higher prices until they failed. The stores are all on clearance up to 75% off everything, and they still cant sell it. Some of the stuff they have on "extreme" clearance are still higher in price than can be bought a few doors down at another store. I was in their store in my town the other day, looked through the shaving stuff. Nothing but cartridges and foam in cans here in Canada.
My local CVS store now stocks a bunch of Van Der Hagen Deluxe shaving soaps, as well as the shaving kits. They sell out pretty quickly.
Yeah. And in the "As Sold on TV" section next to the kitchen area, they sell the Micro Touch One kit. You can get VDH Deluxe soaps for $1.99 for 2.5oz puck at CVS. Only thing I'll ever buy there. Some Dollar stores/99 cent stores have Personna Reds in 5 packs for $1.
Our Rite Aide is starting to stock VDH and DE blades, no razors tho. What I'd like to see is some stores in rural areas start stocking some quality wet shaving items
Walmart stocks the VDH set, razor, blades, and soap. The only thing that is left from the set is the mug and stand. The brush was poor quality and the soap irritated my skin, due to SLS.
I've been seeing soap, and low quality blades at local stores here for sometime. That is a good bit of why I got into wet shaving.
Local Meijer stores are now carrying the same razor & brushes. Price on the razor is $18.80, which isn't bad. Meijer blades are Israeli.
Well, it IS Canada. Generally we blame it for everything. As southpark said.... Should we blame the government? Or blame society? Or should we blame the images on TV? No, blame Canada, blame Canada With all their beady little eyes And flappin' heads so full of lies Blame Canada, blame Canada We need to form a full assault It's Canada's fault"
