STUBBLE OR QUITS Men bristle at rising price of razor blades
SUNDAY MIRROR
TOP razor blades have soared in price – prompting more men to grow stubble.
Men’s razor cartridges have increased by as much as 14 per cent over the past two years while women’s are up to 11 per cent more.
A Sunday Mirror investigation found that men are charged as much as £3.42 a time for items which cost 10p to 20p to make.
It follows a sharp decline in UK razor sales, down by £16.4million to £ 246million over two years, say market analysts IRI. The popularity of beards, goatees and stubble is at its highest level for years, with stars like footballer David Beckham shunning blades.
An industry insider said: “People shaving every day is a thing of the past. Stubble is accepted.”
Our findings are based on research by price comparison site mySupermarket. co. uk, which tracked the average cost of brands in high streets from 2014 to 2016.
It found a pack of four Wilkinson Sword Power & Groomer Blades for men jumped from £9.49 to £10.84, up 14.2 per cent. Over the same two-year period, a pack of three Gillette Venus & Olay Razor Blades for women surged by 11 per cent, from £10.46 to £11.64.
Gillette controls two-thirds of the £4billion global market but is facing increasingly fierce competition.
The insider added: “There’s a colossal mark-up on some products but there’s a lot of consumer choice.”
Gillette and Wilkinson Sword did not reply to requests for a comment. Gillette Fusion Power x4 Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Blades x4
Gillette for Women Venus Razor x4 £7.55 Wilkinson Sword Quattro for Women Razor x3 £6.67