How to save the shave

Things have been looking a bit dim for the overall razor category in recent years. Tim Barrett, research analyst with market research firm Euromonitor, Chicago, notes that unit sales there have been falling for quite awhile.

"Not only do higher prices make people want to buy fewer razors, but the increased social acceptance of facial hair has allowed people to forgo traditional shaving for products like clippers or electric trimmers," he says.

And rising prices of shaving care products – from both inflation and the decreasing number of regular shavers – are pushing daily shavers to seek alternative options, Barrett adds. This situation is helping drive sales of private label shaving care products.

"Private label is a strong performer in the shaving category, especially in the non-disposable razor, shaving cream and depilatory segments," says Shannon Romanowski, senior beauty and personal care analyst with global market researcher Mintel.

Do
make sure your disposable razors are long-lasting.

Dont
offer more blades just for the sake of offering more blades.

But retailers have an opportunity to attract shoppers even on the non-disposable razor side by offering products that last a little longer than traditional disposable razors do.

"While price is a driver, consumers value function, particularly since hair removal is a reality for most consumers," Romanowski explains. "Longer-lasting disposable razors ... could encourage increased spending."

Bruce Barnett, vice president, national sales with Filo America, Vernon, Calif., notes that consumers want every blade they get in a product to be of top quality.

"Its a surgical blade you put on your face," he explains. "So people are very, very conscientious about quality."

And not all of todays shoppers are buying the idea that more blades equals better quality. In the disposables category, several major retailers – including Walmart and Target – recently began removing store brand disposables with six blades and focusing more on their four-blade options, Filos Barnett states.

Pleasure in the process

In addition to quality disposables, "products that closely mimic professional services" offer strong private label opportunities, Romanowski believes.

Alida Stevens, vice president of creative services with Watsonville, Calif.-based Smith & Vandiver, agrees, pointing to Procter & Gambles success with its high-end Art of Shaving brand, which sells online and in dedicated boutiques, as an example. The brand plays solely in the mens sector of shaving care, which Stevens says is seeing more activity than its female counterpart.

"For a lot of men, [shaving] is something they have to do every morning," she explains. "Some people are trying to make it as quick and painless as possible. And there are others that are embracing it into a routine so that theres almost some pleasure in the process."

For instance, Stevens notes that the shaving cream category always will have aerosol cans of basic shaving cream for the men looking to lather up quickly and effectively. But shes beginning to see a resurgence of shaving soaps in a bar format, which often appeal to the man looking to take a little longer with – and enjoy – the shaving ritual. One such product her company manufactures and private labels comes in a stick format that can be wetted and rubbed directly on the face to create lather.

"You can put a cap on it; you can take it to the gym when youre traveling; and its not messy," she says. "It has sort of that barbershop-style feel."

Speaking of products that are made to travel, younger men in particular are interested in smaller or travel-sized shaving products, Romanowski points out. And these products are a great way to introduce new products to consumers, since they tend to be less expensive than their full-sized counterparts.

Package, promote to please

On the packaging side, retailers looking to create destination-type shaving care products should consider featuring similar imagery and messaging from product to product – and placing them all side by side.

Do
offer private label razor systems and shaving cream, which have seen strong unit sales in the last year.

Dont
forget that some men enjoy shaving. Consider offering more luxurious shaving care products for them.

"It makes much more impact when you see multiple shapes and color with the same branding message, and increases what goes into the basket, quite frankly," Stevens says.

Looking at disposable razors, retailers should consider offering products in clamshell blister packs, which provide the razors with a high-quality look. Filos Barnett points to Big Lots as a retailer that does this to show off the attractiveness and contour of its disposable razors.

For razor systems, dark coloring – soothing colors such as blue – tends to grab mens attention, Euromonitors Barrett states. Messaging and imagery should focus on attributes that assist in giving a quality shave.

And messaging needs to be easy to understand – not technical – says Paul Guippone, senior manager, category development and shopper insights, Energizer Personal Care Private Brands, Cedar Knolls, N.J.

Also on the topic of communication, merchandising and marketing are critical to getting private label shaving care products to stand out. Filos Barnett notes that successful retailers today use shelf-talkers to effectively communicate price comparisons between national brand razors and their own-brand counterparts.

"They also use a lot of sidekicks now in the stores," he says.

But new online mail-order subscription services such as Dollar Shave Club and Harrys are making it difficult for retailers to get shoppers to even enter the shaving care aisle. These services offer their own brand of inexpensive, high-quality razors and creams that automatically mail to subscribers on a regular basis, eliminating the chore of purchasing shaving supplies.

However, Romanowski believes that although the national brands might not be able to compete with the pricing or logistics of these subscription services, retailers might be able to do so with their store brand goods.

"Retailers may want to consider sending an e-mail or text alerts to remind shoppers to purchase their replacement razors," she says. "Those alerts could be based on the shoppers purchasing patterns or automatically sent when the consumer is in the store. Retailers could also offer limited-time promotions or special offers with these alerts, since shoppers are driven by price when purchasing in the category."