Analyzing The Wet Shaving Market In 2019

I just saw on Facebook where A&E is launching "A new kind of shaving soap for the budget conscious consumer.". It's aptly called Face Spackle. 

You can see it on their Facebook page (if you have Facebook).

How romantic!  Is this the recommended "brush"?







Just kidding of course.  No disrespect meant to A&E.

That brush has good backbone and does not hog the lather.  Sure, it has a little scritch to it, though......

Just kidding of course.  No disrespect meant to A&E.

And all this time I thought they only did a cable TV channel.

Just kidding of course.  No disrespect meant to A&E.

And all this time I thought they only did a cable TV channel.

Alright hypothetical Shawn, you knew I was talking about you but if you read the last sentence of my post then you would see that I did take that other aspect into consideration.  I fully expect all artisans, including hypothetical ones, to act in their rational economic best interest.  While this may move you in directions that I personally am not interested in and it might make me sad on one level (ie, the selfish what about me level) it makes me happy to see you and other artisans achieving a degree of self actualization and economic success that may not be possible in the traditional wet shaving space alone.  Lets be serious, most wet shavers are looking for the cheapest, effective product they can get.  Thats not necessarily a bad thing because shaving is a daily activity and the shaving products are often viewed as staples that people are prepared to spend only a limited amount on.  Ive always thought that your products were not only the best post shave products in wet shaving on both performance and creative scent/fragrance, but that they also represented excellent value.  Seriously, I'd have paid more, however, there's a market and you have to price yourself in that market and once you have its hard to shift upwards without some whiney push back.   I never went to business school but its obvious if you're paying attention that people will pay more for products they consider to be "luxury" products than they are for staples.  And like it or not you are competing in some regards with aqua velva.  I personally would never place your provisions line of products on that level but neither would I use aqua velva and yet I see aqua velva on the shelves so somebody is using that stuff.  

Long ramble but to sum up, I'm delighted to watch your business evolve in directions that you find economically profitable and also personally enjoyable and fulfilling.  I always have and still do wish you all the success in the world. 

Ha, well I should have pointed out that I was responding to this comment but addressing a criticism that I frequently receive. I definitely will keep the shaving line alive, and even though my sales have steadily dropped, I do take pride in that I helped lead the charge towards making aftershaves that are more than alcohol and fragrance in the artisan community. But it's not like I am not making aftershave anymore. My scents are in shaving soaps still and they used to not be. And I still have more releases in the Provisions line than I do in the Parfums line. But I've learned many times that you're bound to get backlash from anyone who doesn't want you to invest your time and effort into something, even if it brings you great joy and success because, really, I am selfishly pursuing joy just like anyone else would selfishly pursue joy.

But really, there's only so much money that I can afford to lose on something. I'm not a rich man, and I can't afford to basically set a few hundred dollars on a shelf and just watch it sit there. And to be perfectly honest, I make about $0.50 per shaving soap sold with a scent of mine in it and the shaving soap is a poor carrier (understatement of the century) of scent, so it's not really gratifying to me creatively or financially. And soaps outsell aftershave usually about 3 to 1 on average, it seems, and how many threads do you see on this forum about soaps and hardware vs. aftershave? But still, I am releasing new Provisions lines with matching shaving soaps consistently still, despite the decreased demand. I have a new fougère coming to the permanent Provisions line on September 28 called Weinstrasse, in fact, with aftershave and shaving soap. I have more releases with accompanying shaving products than otherwise. So I can't say I can totally understand the backlash I've received from the shaving community, but it is what it is. If you've noticed, I've become less involved in the shaving community because I've gotten a bit tired of taking my lumps and I would prefer to just focus on the things that make me happy and not on the things that do the opposite.

Oh well, it is what it is. If having an aspect in my life that brings me success, accolades and a sense of personal accomplishment makes people so resentful that it overshadows the fact that I'm still doing the thing that they want me to do, so be it. I'm going to do me and I've realized that I shouldn't worry about anything otherwise because that's all I can really control in the end.

hawns , I've been thinking about what you said for a little bit now and I've been wondering about the fact that you're only making $0.50/unit from the collaboration shaving soaps that you've been doing. (I have no idea what a normal margin is for these products) The artisans that you've collaborated with have all been top tier but for me the draw of those products is Chatillon Lux.  I've always thought that your collaborations did more for the soap maker than for Chatillon Lux as far as enhancing their business and reputation.

I know that you've said in the past that you aren't interested in making shaving soap but have you considered contracting with a reputable soap maker and starting your own line of Chatillon Lux shaving soaps?  I have no idea what the economics of that looks like but I know there are several brands out there that don't make their own soap so it must be tenable on some level at least.  Quality is always something that you can negotiate as well and now with the great equalizer (Grooming Dept Pre-shave) it isn't that big a deal to a point at least.  I say this keeping in mind the Chatillon Lux bath soap that you've released recently and I wonder why not shaving soap.  Chatillon Lux provisions can serve the full meal deal and depending on the business model you choose, you can have time to focus on the parfum end of things.

Alright hypothetical Shawn, you knew I was talking about you but if you read the last sentence of my post then you would see that I did take that other aspect into consideration.  I fully expect all artisans, including hypothetical ones, to act in their rational economic best interest.  While this may move you in directions that I personally am not interested in and it might make me sad on one level (ie, the selfish what about me level) it makes me happy to see you and other artisans achieving a degree of self actualization and economic success that may not be possible in the traditional wet shaving space alone.  Lets be serious, most wet shavers are looking for the cheapest, effective product they can get.  Thats not necessarily a bad thing because shaving is a daily activity and the shaving products are often viewed as staples that people are prepared to spend only a limited amount on.  Ive always thought that your products were not only the best post shave products in wet shaving on both performance and creative scent/fragrance, but that they also represented excellent value.  Seriously, I'd have paid more, however, there's a market and you have to price yourself in that market and once you have its hard to shift upwards without some whiney push back.   I never went to business school but its obvious if you're paying attention that people will pay more for products they consider to be "luxury" products than they are for staples.  And like it or not you are competing in some regards with aqua velva.  I personally would never place your provisions line of products on that level but neither would I use aqua velva and yet I see aqua velva on the shelves so somebody is using that stuff.  

Long ramble but to sum up, I'm delighted to watch your business evolve in directions that you find economically profitable and also personally enjoyable and fulfilling.  I always have and still do wish you all the success in the world. 

Ha, well I should have pointed out that I was responding to this comment but addressing a criticism that I frequently receive. I definitely will keep the shaving line alive, and even though my sales have steadily dropped, I do take pride in that I helped lead the charge towards making aftershaves that are more than alcohol and fragrance in the artisan community. But it's not like I am not making aftershave anymore. My scents are in shaving soaps still and they used to not be. And I still have more releases in the Provisions line than I do in the Parfums line. But I've learned many times that you're bound to get backlash from anyone who doesn't want you to invest your time and effort into something, even if it brings you great joy and success because, really, I am selfishly pursuing joy just like anyone else would selfishly pursue joy.

But really, there's only so much money that I can afford to lose on something. I'm not a rich man, and I can't afford to basically set a few hundred dollars on a shelf and just watch it sit there. And to be perfectly honest, I make about $0.50 per shaving soap sold with a scent of mine in it and the shaving soap is a poor carrier (understatement of the century) of scent, so it's not really gratifying to me creatively or financially. And soaps outsell aftershave usually about 3 to 1 on average, it seems, and how many threads do you see on this forum about soaps and hardware vs. aftershave? But still, I am releasing new Provisions lines with matching shaving soaps consistently still, despite the decreased demand. I have a new fougère coming to the permanent Provisions line on September 28 called Weinstrasse, in fact, with aftershave and shaving soap. I have more releases with accompanying shaving products than otherwise. So I can't say I can totally understand the backlash I've received from the shaving community, but it is what it is. If you've noticed, I've become less involved in the shaving community because I've gotten a bit tired of taking my lumps and I would prefer to just focus on the things that make me happy and not on the things that do the opposite.

Oh well, it is what it is. If having an aspect in my life that brings me success, accolades and a sense of personal accomplishment makes people so resentful that it overshadows the fact that I'm still doing the thing that they want me to do, so be it. I'm going to do me and I've realized that I shouldn't worry about anything otherwise because that's all I can really control in the end.

hawns , I've been thinking about what you said for a little bit now and I've been wondering about the fact that you're only making $0.50/unit from the collaboration shaving soaps that you've been doing. (I have no idea what a normal margin is for these products) The artisans that you've collaborated with have all been top tier but for me the draw of those products is Chatillon Lux.  I've always thought that your collaborations did more for the soap maker than for Chatillon Lux as far as enhancing their business and reputation.

I know that you've said in the past that you aren't interested in making shaving soap but have you considered contracting with a reputable soap maker and starting your own line of Chatillon Lux shaving soaps?  I have no idea what the economics of that looks like but I know there are several brands out there that don't make their own soap so it must be tenable on some level at least.  Quality is always something that you can negotiate as well and now with the great equalizer (Grooming Dept Pre-shave) it isn't that big a deal to a point at least.  I say this keeping in mind the Chatillon Lux bath soap that you've released recently and I wonder why not shaving soap.  Chatillon Lux provisions can serve the full meal deal and depending on the business model you choose, you can have time to focus on the parfum end of things.

I wonder who in St. Louis makes a great shaving soap?


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Ha, well I should have pointed out that I was responding to this comment but addressing a criticism that I frequently receive. I definitely will keep the shaving line alive, and even though my sales have steadily dropped, I do take pride in that I helped lead the charge towards making aftershaves that are more than alcohol and fragrance in the artisan community. But it's not like I am not making aftershave anymore. My scents are in shaving soaps still and they used to not be. And I still have more releases in the Provisions line than I do in the Parfums line. But I've learned many times that you're bound to get backlash from anyone who doesn't want you to invest your time and effort into something, even if it brings you great joy and success because, really, I am selfishly pursuing joy just like anyone else would selfishly pursue joy.

But really, there's only so much money that I can afford to lose on something. I'm not a rich man, and I can't afford to basically set a few hundred dollars on a shelf and just watch it sit there. And to be perfectly honest, I make about $0.50 per shaving soap sold with a scent of mine in it and the shaving soap is a poor carrier (understatement of the century) of scent, so it's not really gratifying to me creatively or financially. And soaps outsell aftershave usually about 3 to 1 on average, it seems, and how many threads do you see on this forum about soaps and hardware vs. aftershave? But still, I am releasing new Provisions lines with matching shaving soaps consistently still, despite the decreased demand. I have a new fougère coming to the permanent Provisions line on September 28 called Weinstrasse, in fact, with aftershave and shaving soap. I have more releases with accompanying shaving products than otherwise. So I can't say I can totally understand the backlash I've received from the shaving community, but it is what it is. If you've noticed, I've become less involved in the shaving community because I've gotten a bit tired of taking my lumps and I would prefer to just focus on the things that make me happy and not on the things that do the opposite.

Oh well, it is what it is. If having an aspect in my life that brings me success, accolades and a sense of personal accomplishment makes people so resentful that it overshadows the fact that I'm still doing the thing that they want me to do, so be it. I'm going to do me and I've realized that I shouldn't worry about anything otherwise because that's all I can really control in the end.

hawns , I've been thinking about what you said for a little bit now and I've been wondering about the fact that you're only making $0.50/unit from the collaboration shaving soaps that you've been doing. (I have no idea what a normal margin is for these products) The artisans that you've collaborated with have all been top tier but for me the draw of those products is Chatillon Lux.  I've always thought that your collaborations did more for the soap maker than for Chatillon Lux as far as enhancing their business and reputation.

I know that you've said in the past that you aren't interested in making shaving soap but have you considered contracting with a reputable soap maker and starting your own line of Chatillon Lux shaving soaps?  I have no idea what the economics of that looks like but I know there are several brands out there that don't make their own soap so it must be tenable on some level at least.  Quality is always something that you can negotiate as well and now with the great equalizer (Grooming Dept Pre-shave) it isn't that big a deal to a point at least.  I say this keeping in mind the Chatillon Lux bath soap that you've released recently and I wonder why not shaving soap.  Chatillon Lux provisions can serve the full meal deal and depending on the business model you choose, you can have time to focus on the parfum end of things.

I wonder who in St. Louis makes a great shaving soap?


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CL has already done a few collaborations with Sudsy?

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Ha, well I should have pointed out that I was responding to this comment but addressing a criticism that I frequently receive. I definitely will keep the shaving line alive, and even though my sales have steadily dropped, I do take pride in that I helped lead the charge towards making aftershaves that are more than alcohol and fragrance in the artisan community. But it's not like I am not making aftershave anymore. My scents are in shaving soaps still and they used to not be. And I still have more releases in the Provisions line than I do in the Parfums line. But I've learned many times that you're bound to get backlash from anyone who doesn't want you to invest your time and effort into something, even if it brings you great joy and success because, really, I am selfishly pursuing joy just like anyone else would selfishly pursue joy.

But really, there's only so much money that I can afford to lose on something. I'm not a rich man, and I can't afford to basically set a few hundred dollars on a shelf and just watch it sit there. And to be perfectly honest, I make about $0.50 per shaving soap sold with a scent of mine in it and the shaving soap is a poor carrier (understatement of the century) of scent, so it's not really gratifying to me creatively or financially. And soaps outsell aftershave usually about 3 to 1 on average, it seems, and how many threads do you see on this forum about soaps and hardware vs. aftershave? But still, I am releasing new Provisions lines with matching shaving soaps consistently still, despite the decreased demand. I have a new fougère coming to the permanent Provisions line on September 28 called Weinstrasse, in fact, with aftershave and shaving soap. I have more releases with accompanying shaving products than otherwise. So I can't say I can totally understand the backlash I've received from the shaving community, but it is what it is. If you've noticed, I've become less involved in the shaving community because I've gotten a bit tired of taking my lumps and I would prefer to just focus on the things that make me happy and not on the things that do the opposite.

Oh well, it is what it is. If having an aspect in my life that brings me success, accolades and a sense of personal accomplishment makes people so resentful that it overshadows the fact that I'm still doing the thing that they want me to do, so be it. I'm going to do me and I've realized that I shouldn't worry about anything otherwise because that's all I can really control in the end.

hawns , I've been thinking about what you said for a little bit now and I've been wondering about the fact that you're only making $0.50/unit from the collaboration shaving soaps that you've been doing. (I have no idea what a normal margin is for these products) The artisans that you've collaborated with have all been top tier but for me the draw of those products is Chatillon Lux.  I've always thought that your collaborations did more for the soap maker than for Chatillon Lux as far as enhancing their business and reputation.

I know that you've said in the past that you aren't interested in making shaving soap but have you considered contracting with a reputable soap maker and starting your own line of Chatillon Lux shaving soaps?  I have no idea what the economics of that looks like but I know there are several brands out there that don't make their own soap so it must be tenable on some level at least.  Quality is always something that you can negotiate as well and now with the great equalizer (Grooming Dept Pre-shave) it isn't that big a deal to a point at least.  I say this keeping in mind the Chatillon Lux bath soap that you've released recently and I wonder why not shaving soap.  Chatillon Lux provisions can serve the full meal deal and depending on the business model you choose, you can have time to focus on the parfum end of things.

I wonder who in St. Louis makes a great shaving soap?


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Well, let the discussions begin  

So, is St. Louis some kind of traditional wet shaving epicentre?  Is there anything you guys can’t do?

hawns , I've been thinking about what you said for a little bit now and I've been wondering about the fact that you're only making $0.50/unit from the collaboration shaving soaps that you've been doing. (I have no idea what a normal margin is for these products) The artisans that you've collaborated with have all been top tier but for me the draw of those products is Chatillon Lux.  I've always thought that your collaborations did more for the soap maker than for Chatillon Lux as far as enhancing their business and reputation.

I know that you've said in the past that you aren't interested in making shaving soap but have you considered contracting with a reputable soap maker and starting your own line of Chatillon Lux shaving soaps?  I have no idea what the economics of that looks like but I know there are several brands out there that don't make their own soap so it must be tenable on some level at least.  Quality is always something that you can negotiate as well and now with the great equalizer (Grooming Dept Pre-shave) it isn't that big a deal to a point at least.  I say this keeping in mind the Chatillon Lux bath soap that you've released recently and I wonder why not shaving soap.  Chatillon Lux provisions can serve the full meal deal and depending on the business model you choose, you can have time to focus on the parfum end of things.

I wonder who in St. Louis makes a great shaving soap?


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Well, let the discussions begin  

So, is St. Louis some kind of traditional wet shaving epicentre?  Is there anything you guys can’t do?

Yes on the epicenter. No, nothing we can't do.

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Anybody else have thoughts in light of Gillette’s apparent early success with a $35 safety razor. (I acknowledge we don’t know exactly how many were sold. My guess, thousands.)


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