I've been wondering why there aren't more mens stores specializing in shaving gear and other mens paraphenalia. The only store I've ever been to that comes close is Crabtree and Evelyn. It seems to be an untapped market; other than on the internet. The area I live in has absolutely nothing in this department. Are there really that few Mens stores? Do stores like this just tend to fail?
Most men have bought into the whole Gillette / Shick way of shaving and grooming. A few stores exist such as Art of Shaving, and Truefitt & Hill. You also find a few stores with some mens products, namely Nordtroms, C&E, B&BW, and TBS. I think it's actually swinging back from a bottom during the Mach 3 age. When the Fusion came out I think the prices finally were far enough out of control that more guys started looking at other options.
While I understand the joys of seeing, handling., and smelling the products we (men and women) enjoy. A brick and mortar store is not likely to do the amount of business an online shop will do. Plus, the internet has/is changing the way business is done. Why pay rent, utilities, etc, etc, when you can reach a wider audience from your own home? For example, London's Bathecary, which is 1.5 hours from my home, carries a wide variety of shaving products. But check their prices against other online retailers and you won't be buying from Londons. $18 for a tub of Taylors plus shipping? I can get Taylors cheaper from so many online only retailers. Why? They don't have to cover costs of a brick and mortar store, but London's does.
Why would someone buy shaving equipment from a shaving-only store when it can be purchased at the nearest drug or grocery store? Bear in mind that for most individuals "razor" means a multi-blade cartridge type and "shaving cream" means goo-in-a-can. For those of us who have seen the light, straight and double edge razors, blades, brushes and mugs can often be purchased at cutlery and gift stores. Such stores have no reason to limit themselves solely to shaving items. Why sell shaving paraphernalia when they can sell shaving paraphernalia and cutlery and gift items? As an added bonus, many offer sharpening services for straight and single edge razors with non disposable blades.
Before finding this site and Lees Razors (my current favorite online vendor), I went to the Art Of Shaving Store at the local mall. They were pushing overpriced Mach III handles. I left the store not even knowing that they sold DE razors (which is why I went there in the first place).
I have been wondering about this same thing. A specialty shop that would be close by and sell other men's items. Not just shaving but include a wider range of products. Anybody got experience starting a business that could lend me some advice? Our area contains few shops that carry any of these products and an idea like this could work well from what I can tell.
Other successful stores sell the following alongside traditional shaving gear: -Tobacco -Toilettries (The Body Shop, B&BW) -Cutlery -Hair Cuts (barber shops) -Vaccuum Cleaners (I kid you not - right here in the Denver area)
I was thinking about throwing nice lines of spirits. Definitely tobacco. Vaccuum cleaners, what the hell? Cutlery sounds good. I love a good pocket knife, also a good kitchen knife to create food with.
I love doing business online because I hate the time it takes to drive and go into a store to find a product. Moreover, an online store carries a larger range, and scents than a B&M store. Prices are cheaper too online. I buy everything except for food and beer online. One thing I miss out on it really good sales that stores have sometimes.
I'm aware of a shaving store in my state, maybe 30 minutes away if traffic is good, but that's if I go on the Interstate. I do go to that town for other reasons occasionally, and might think to drop by that store, but it's not all that convenient. The main reason for going would be simple curiosity. If I wanted to buy a new Merkur or Edwin Jagger razor I might go there, but that's unlikely to happen any time soon. I sympathize with people trying to run brick and mortar specialty stores, but in the end, I'm going to buy from the cheapest reliable source. There are kinds of products which I like to see in a store before buying, but replacement blades, soaps, and creams aren't among them. Even brushes are something I feel safe enough ordering on line. I already have enough blades to keep me going for years, anyway, and probably enough soap for at least two years.
I think it might have to lean more toward introducing this wet shave experience to people. The wide range of products is what I think would help keep the business afloat.
that wide range of products also represents a substantial investment on the part of the seller. Also, DE razors are a one time purchase. A person buys razor X, and given proper treatment, doesn't buy it again. Sure, you can have an extensive selection of razors so that person might come in and buy a different razor, but I don't think a brick and mortar store could out-stock an internet store. It would be too expensive. Blades are inexpensive and represent a very small profit for the seller, especially if the buyer wants to purchase in bulk as many of us do. Creams and soaps *can* last for months and I suspect they also represent a very small profit for the seller. What this means is that brick and mortar traditional shaving stores will need to: a. have a large available population. (urban areas) or b. depend on something else to pay the bills or, most likely, c. both a and b.
first off i dont smoke so this may be a dumb response but a tobacco shop would seem like a logical place to stock shave gear. like others have said it would be tough to open a place that just sells shaving gear since most people in todays world only know about gazillion bladed razors and squirt can lather (i used to be one of those people til a year ago). None of my buddies are hip. Its either an elec or whatever they get from a box store and the usual response.."aww man i hate shaving, blah blah blah". If they only new what they are missing.
My son and I have discussed this issue. Where I live is very near a town called Mt. Dora. Most of the downtown district is mostly quaint little shops, like an English tea room. Lots of art stores mixed with antique shops and small sidewalk Bistros. It would be a great place to insert a shave store. I even contemplated setting it up as a consignment store along with retail. Big risk though with inventory as in any business. Maybe after I win the Lottery lol. For now, I believe a safer place would be at the weekend flea markets which are very popular at this time of year due to increased seasonal residents and visitors trying to escape the frigid cold and cheek deep snow drifts. Inventory would be more easily covered without the rent of a retail space in a building.
Large companies know where the money is in health and beauty; women. Look at any health & beauty sections/stores. Take Bath and Body works for example. How much of their floor space is aimed at men? Maybe 10%. Think of other stores, Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, etc. Pretty much the same. My point? If the furthering of wetshaving and wetshaving products are the intent. Marketing to women is a big key. Not many women are on the shaving forums, true, but there are reasons. The hobby aspect is probably not appealing to them for one. The largely male member base can be intimidating for another. And I'm sure there are others. But sales is where the ladies have the power. How many of you guys have been introduced to this because your wife or girlfriend bought you a brush, a razor, or some other shaving item? How many men do you know that don't want to smell the lotions and potions or go into those stores? Before this hobby, did you? There will be a percent that did, of course, but sales and marketing show the majority don't. Can this be changed? Sure, but you have to get your foot in the door, and the women open the door in this case. Anyway, just something to think on.
The store that I think Slivovitz is talking about opened recently (I'm from CT, too). It's owned by a guy named Ray who's a co-owner of http://www.BadgerandBlade.com. His ID at that forum is Thirdeye, and he may have some good advice for you. He's started his online store, too, at http://gentlemensbest.com/default.aspx, which I think is essential to help his physical store work. I've been to his store, it's nice and he's got a lot of various wet shaving supplies there. Plus, he's worked a deal with a local barber who comes in on Saturdays to give real straight razor shaves (by appointment). I've been hoping that a store like this would open up near me. My wife already went back and bought an aftershave and a couple shaving creams for me. I can't wait to try their straight shave. Maybe I just didn't notice before, but I'm starting to see more wet shaving products and gear in different stores nowadays. Hopefully, that's a sign of things to come.
I figured going online would be necessity. Also, getting women through the door would help the base. I am not a woman so I am not sure what they would be looking for. Although, I am married to one.
The only place here in Springfield I've found where I can buy good quality wetshaving item is a place called 'Just For Him'. Half of the store is dedicated to tobacco products including a full walk in humidor. The other half are things for dens or offices like globes and chess sets. In the back corner of the store they have a small display of DE and straight razors along with some stands, brushes, scuttles and Col. Conk soaps. Not a large variety but definitely better than nothing. Check out their site. http://www.justforhim.com/catalog/
Clearly old school wetshaving is a growing trend, not a passing fad. The ten or so wetshaving forums (maybe more now?) in various languages are proof of that. Where there is a demand, merchants will step in to supply that demand. Googling on the terms "Merkur 34C" shows that the number of merchants is already quite large. From what I was told by a brick and mortar store, the interest in traditional wetshaving has sharply increased recently. The store owners said they do a very brisk trade in double edge razors, soaps, mugs, brushes and even straight razors. In addition, quite a few customers come in to get Rolls Razors or straights sharpened. I remember seeing a few straight razors there over the years, but now they have a much larger area devoted to wetshaving. There are also commercial links and affiliations to a number of wetshaving forums. In addition to the store you noted above, the Razor & Brush forum was associated first with Giovanni Abrate's store and now shoeboxshaveshop.com. Even this forum has an online store. IMHO, such connections are a very good thing because it means enthusiast participation is driving increased commercial activity, product awareness and product availability. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a sticky thread somewhere listing brick and mortar shaving stores?
