Analyzing The Wet Shaving Market In 2019

...I'm still curious where the market will go next.

Let me make a Farmer's Almanacesque type guess:  we may see a big push to artisan soaps that cost far less as the market is now "eating itself". B&M "kissed" the $28 mark with their latest intro and I see/hear many stating "Whoa!!". Latha "resurrection" coming? 

Hence the interest in samples.  I'm willing to wager that the majority of wet shavers who order samples never purchase the full size product based on the sample.  Its their model - given the number of soaps the average wet shaver has (at least those active on forums) it will still take them years to work through a single sample.  And if, as often happens, they don't care for the scent and/or performance of the sample then the loss is small.  They will have a large number of samples and a small number of full size pucks.  It makes economic sense.  I am not a sample buyer, I buy a full size puck and I have a significant number of soaps that have been lathered only once and several that have never been lathered at all because I did not care for either or both of the scent or performance.  I don't want to do the math but every time I go down to the basement all of those soaps call out to me mockingly "you should have bought a sample"...ok, not literally because that would be scary but you know what I mean.  

Another trend I've seen is artisans getting into the EDT/EDP line as those sell for a significantly higher price.  I don't care for that much scent (I've tried but its not my thing) but for those who do like that sort of thing its great.  I don't particularly like it when I see an artisan neglecting their original products to focus on EDPs, however, if the economics are driving them in that direction who am I to criticize?

Yes, I have bought a lot of samples in my time and more have been bust rather than boom. No use marrying if you just want to steal a kiss.    I have too many soaps now and will perhaps sell some here soon as I am just about "artisaned out" at this point. I could use a Palmolive or Arko stick at this point as both provide great shaves and PSF (post shave feel) is irrelevant to me. Scent........I'm still working on it. 

I had mixed emotions when I saw that the shave market seemed to be going through a correction. In one way I was surprised, yet in another I was not because I felt it had to come sooner or later with some of the latest and greatest items because there are only so many people in this niche. I suppose I was more surprised that it seemed to have come quicker than I thought. In my time I have seen these trends and happenings several times before with various hardware which were going for crazy prices at one time such as Fatboy razors and M&F brushes for example. I have been wondering lately which items I would see next be subjected to a market correction. I believe we have seen it in part, and I think it may not be over yet.

I agree with LOOT that the excitement of high end gear is still just as high as ever. I am just as excited as everyone else about some of these new razors and other hardware which is coming out and I am planning on buying some of them. I think the correction with are seeing with razors that were once selling for $1000 no longer brining those prices is due to this reality. Back when these razors got their cult status and started increasing in resale price they were one of the only shows in town and were truly unique. Now there are so many unique and awesome preforming razors out there which are around $200 and are readily available it only makes sense to see this correction.

I think Marko brings up some great points about the old guard among other things. To his point I remember seeing ATT DE razors on a regular basis in the SOTD threads among others when I had been wet shaving for a year or two. Now I never see them anymore and I don't even see them in the BST anymore hardly. I still browse the forums daily, check out new releases, follow trends, etc and am just as happy as ever to do so. I am just as excited as ever to see the developments of products and new artisans etc. But like Marko I have come to understand I just don't have the room or need for everything, and although I shave daily I have finished maybe one or two jars of soap and maybe two aftershaves in the many years I have been buying artisan software because I have so much to go through already. I chose to buy full tubs instead of samples just as a way to support the artisan. But as a result its caused be to slow down on purchasing because I have so much already that I want to use.

BPman mentioned B&M kissing the $28 dollar mark; I am not surprised because artisans have been slowly going up with every reformulation (in part due to necessity because of new ingredients, and I would image the other part is they are seeing they can with each release of a higher priced and hyped soap selling out). What has been interesting to me personally is that artisan soap is getting priced to a point that it is making me come full circle and become interested again in the traditional software brands like DR Harris and Truefitt & Hill among others which were popular back when I started. Like ATT razors, we hardly ever see these brands mentioned in SOTD's or other threads these days. The price of artisan soaps has lead me to become interested in them again. Back then I only dipped my toe in these software brands because their prices were so high relatively speaking when comparing these traditional brands to the popular artisans of that time. Now with artisan soaps touching $28+/- getting a triple milled tallow based soap with a great scent in that comes in a wooden bowl for around that much (relatively speaking) they don't seem as expensive as they once did. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I would agree that the wet shaving market is, if not maturing then at least changing from how things were over the past five or six years.  Thats all I can comment on because that's how long I've been doing this.  I recall the storefront breaking releases of Hallows and the very real anger vented by many who weren't able to get the products they wanted.  I also remember being able to buy those new releases without any difficulty whatsoever as well as being able to send James an email , getting on his list, discussing what I wanted and having a Wolfman razor delivered in a few months.  Then things blew up.

The same general thing has been going on since I started traditional wetshaving in 2007.  Vendors would appear, then most would eventually disappear over time.  In parallel, an increasing number of new vendors would appear.

I was always put off by the hyper-materialistic aspect that eventually developed in wetshaving.  I understand that trying a bunch of different things appeals to some folks.  When the focus shifted almost entirely to constantly buying and accumulating large personal hoards, then wetshaving became something much different.  The balance between acquiring and the experience of learning and using largely vanished.  People bouncing off the walls because they could not certain products they want is ridiculous.  Really?  Seriously people?  We have dozens, sometimes hundreds, of products in each category and you are flipping out because you can't get that specific one?  That is just plain silly IMHO.

Initially I wanted to try everything but that was unsustainable.  I then decided I'd buy new releases only from artisans I really like but that also has proven unsustainable.  I've accepted that not only can I not have everything, I actually don't want everything.  I become crushed under the weight of stuff.  I used to begin the day with a cup of coffee while browsing new arrivals and release schedules.  Every day.  Now I rarely look at that stuff.  There's a den clearing a coming that I know.

I have seen people post those sentiments so many times:  They want to try lots of different things, eventually realize they have way too much stuff, and then get rid of all but a small number of their very favorite things.  They do seem much happier afterwards.

If the buy-and-try approach is done to find what they really like best, I think there is a better way.  Just look at the reviews for an item on the various forums.  Something that gets consistently high marks from multiple reviewers is very likely to work well for you, too.  In times past, people would say "no, no, NO!  Your mileage may vary."  like some strange mantra, as if to imply my mileage would *always* vary.  I found that to be largely BS.  Sure, my experiences would differ from others to some extent, but far from always.  The forum review method of selecting items has worked very well for me so far.

If spending a wad of cash and having tons of stuff is someone's thing, hey it's their money, their life, and their decision.  But that is accumulating, or rarely, collecting, not traditional shaving per se.

The hardware side is interesting - some of the old guard have vanished.  Anyone bought an Ikon razor lately?  They were hot once.  Still, they made some decent razors.  Same goes for Above The Tie.  As far as Rockwell is concerned, there may not be much discussion but for me its still my daily driver.  Very good razor and the one that led me to putting the brakes on further acquisitions.  I see no need anymore.  I've also bought too many supposedly game changing razors that were more hype than change.

Traditional wetshaving seems to be very new, bright, shiny object driven.  When a new product comes along, the old products are dropped and forgotten.  Everyone then starts using the new products.  Anyone remember Ginger's Garden shaving soaps?  They used to be highly praised and widely used.  Ditto for the The Soap Opera Himalaya Shaving Soap.  Both are still available and still very good, even in comparison to more recent products.  I have not seen either soap mentioned in a long, long time.

Not sure where all this will lead, or if it really matters all that much in the long run.

Back then I only dipped my toe in these software brands because their prices were so high relatively speaking when comparing these traditional brands to the popular artisans of that time. Now with artisan soaps touching $28+/- getting a triple milled tallow based soap with a great scent in that comes in a wooden bowl for around that much (relatively speaking) they don't seem as expensive as they once did. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I think that some of the artisans greatly overpriced their soaps.  For $28, I might as well go down to Art of Shaving and get one of their shaving creams.  It does make some of the traditional shaving soaps and creams look like a bargain by comparison.   Here is why I think $28 artisan soaps are just a bit much:

Van Der Hagen Scented Shave Soap (3 pack)
$9.12

The Soap Opera Himalaya Shaving Soap
$5.49

Mitchell's Wool Fat Shaving Soap
$6.47

Kiss My Face 4-in-1 Moisture Shave
About $8 at Whole Foods

Stirling Shaving Soap
$9.95

Mystic Water Shaving Soap
$11.32

Truefitt & Hill Luxury Shaving Soap
$11.95

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream
$12.95[/font]

Tabac Original Shaving Soap
$12.99

Institut Karité Paris Extra Gentle Shaving Soap
$14.95

Geo. F. Trumper Shaving Cream
$17.00

We’ve seen this coming. That’s one of the reasons we introduced our boxed LVS soap for $9.99 on Amazon. It’s rockin.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

...I'm still curious where the market will go next.

Let me make a Farmer's Almanacesque type guess:  we may see a big push to artisan soaps that cost far less as the market is now "eating itself". B&M "kissed" the $28 mark with their latest intro and I see/hear many stating "Whoa!!". Latha "resurrection" coming? 

Hence the interest in samples.  I'm willing to wager that the majority of wet shavers who order samples never purchase the full size product based on the sample.  Its their model - given the number of soaps the average wet shaver has (at least those active on forums) it will still take them years to work through a single sample.  And if, as often happens, they don't care for the scent and/or performance of the sample then the loss is small.  They will have a large number of samples and a small number of full size pucks.  It makes economic sense.  I am not a sample buyer, I buy a full size puck and I have a significant number of soaps that have been lathered only once and several that have never been lathered at all because I did not care for either or both of the scent or performance.  I don't want to do the math but every time I go down to the basement all of those soaps call out to me mockingly "you should have bought a sample"...ok, not literally because that would be scary but you know what I mean.  

Another trend I've seen is artisans getting into the EDT/EDP line as those sell for a significantly higher price.  I don't care for that much scent (I've tried but its not my thing) but for those who do like that sort of thing its great.  I don't particularly like it when I see an artisan neglecting their original products to focus on EDPs, however, if the economics are driving them in that direction who am I to criticize?

I think there could also be another aspect that you didn't consider. Let's say an artisan, I don't know but let's call him Shawn hypothetically, makes aftershave and fragrances, but Shawn's sales of aftershave and shaving products fall off dramatically while the sales of his fragrances take off to much critical acclaim in the fragrance world, allowing him to really push the envelope in the most creative aspect of what he does. This hypothetical Shawn would probably be foolish to double down and invest his time, energy and money into a stagnating element of his business by all accounts of business practice when there is another segment in which he is receiving high acclaim and growing sales, it would seem.

All this is completely hypothetical, of course, but if it were true...Shawn would probably make a lot of his business professors that he had in college question their existence if he were to do anything other than shift his focus into the fragrance side of the business, I'd imagine.

Edit: And yeah, fragrances do cost more. They also cost more to make and have more expensive packaging. But I would bet this Shawn character would have people from the fragrance world tell him that they hesitated to check out his fragrances at first because they were so much cheaper than other fragrances on the market that they just assumed they wouldn't be as good as they were.

Let me make a Farmer's Almanacesque type guess:  we may see a big push to artisan soaps that cost far less as the market is now "eating itself". B&M "kissed" the $28 mark with their latest intro and I see/hear many stating "Whoa!!". Latha "resurrection" coming? 

Hence the interest in samples.  I'm willing to wager that the majority of wet shavers who order samples never purchase the full size product based on the sample.  Its their model - given the number of soaps the average wet shaver has (at least those active on forums) it will still take them years to work through a single sample.  And if, as often happens, they don't care for the scent and/or performance of the sample then the loss is small.  They will have a large number of samples and a small number of full size pucks.  It makes economic sense.  I am not a sample buyer, I buy a full size puck and I have a significant number of soaps that have been lathered only once and several that have never been lathered at all because I did not care for either or both of the scent or performance.  I don't want to do the math but every time I go down to the basement all of those soaps call out to me mockingly "you should have bought a sample"...ok, not literally because that would be scary but you know what I mean.  

Another trend I've seen is artisans getting into the EDT/EDP line as those sell for a significantly higher price.  I don't care for that much scent (I've tried but its not my thing) but for those who do like that sort of thing its great.  I don't particularly like it when I see an artisan neglecting their original products to focus on EDPs, however, if the economics are driving them in that direction who am I to criticize?

I think there could also be another aspect that you didn't consider. Let's say an artisan, I don't know but let's call him Shawn hypothetically, makes aftershave and fragrances, but Shawn's sales of aftershave and shaving products fall off dramatically while the sales of his fragrances take off to much critical acclaim in the fragrance world, allowing him to really push the envelope in the most creative aspect of what he does. This hypothetical Shawn would probably be foolish to double down and invest his time, energy and money into a stagnating element of his business by all accounts of business practice when there is another segment in which he is receiving high acclaim and growing sales, it would seem.

All this is completely hypothetical, of course, but if it were true...Shawn would probably make a lot of his business professors that he had in college question their existence if he were to do anything other than shift his focus into the fragrance side of the business, I'd imagine.

Edit: And yeah, fragrances do cost more. They also cost more to make and have more expensive packaging. But I would bet this Shawn character would have people from the fragrance world tell him that they hesitated to check out his fragrances at first because they were so much cheaper than other fragrances on the market that they just assumed they wouldn't be as good as they were.

I concur with everything Shawn said there. I have become more observant of the fragrance people on social media. I have observed Shawn's presence there and while I'm a mere amateur by comparison, he's 100% right about the costs. I have two recipes I'm working on now and can't figure out at all how to do something that will sell for less than $30-40 retail for a bottle of aftershave. I may morph it towards the fragrance products where people expect and are willing to pay more.

Three very credible and professionally informed posts.  Fasten your seatbelts people.  

I kinda like this hypothetical Shawn guy whoever he is.