Target hones edge by partnering with online razor brands
MINNEAPOLIS — Target saw the writing on the fogged-up bathroom mirror.
Its sales of men’s razors and blades, one of the biggest categories in its beauty and personal care aisles, had begun to slip as a number of upstart online brands were disrupting the industry and going straight to consumers, bypassing stores altogether.
Its solution? The Minneapolis-based retailer joined forces with them.
In the past year, Target has partnered with two subscription-based online brands — Harry’s and Bevel — brokering deals to be the only mass retailer to carry their products.
“It’s been really working so far — knock on wood,” said John Butcher, Target’s senior vice president of beauty merchandising.
Target’s market share in men’s shaving has jumped by double digits, as has its overall sales of men’s razors, he said. About 50 percent of Target’s razor handle sales and about 15 percent of its cartridges now come from Harry’s.
And unlike what some expected, it hasn’t necessarily come at the expense of the longtime king of the razor aisle — Procter & Gamble’s Gillette. Gillette’s sales at Target have also been up, despite losing a bit of shelf space as Target cleaned up the product presentation, Butcher said.
“There were some skeptics out there,” he said. “But the hypothesis was if we become a more meaningful destination for men’s shave, then we get more people in the aisle.”
Butcher said the alliance with Harry’s and Bevel is one way Target is looking to beef up its offerings for men, who are increasingly shopping for themselves.
A key ingredient to the partnership with Harry’s has been the endcap displays that have been turning the heads of shoppers.
When it launched in Target’s 1,800 stores last August, Harry’s displays included larger-than-life 4-foot-tall razors. Earlier this year, those were swapped out for a cutout of a guy in boxer shorts and tube socks standing in front of a mirror with a dog at his feet. It’s been so popular that some customers have tried walking out of the store with it.
Harry’s, the No. 5 brand, more than doubled its share last year to 4 percent.
The disruption in Target’s shaving aisle highlights the retailer’s increased willingness to make room on its shelves for up-and-coming specialty brands in order to stay relevant, said Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant.