Gillette just made an unprecedented change to be more like its competitors
After slashing prices across the board and launching a marketing campaign called "Welcome Back," Gillette has now introduced a new way to buy blades directly from the company.
Called Gillette On Demand, the service mimics the direct-to-consumer models of competitors like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club. It allows customers to either buy blades as needed or build a custom subscription.
Three of Gillette's products are offered as part of the service, acting as three separate tiers: disposable Sensor 3 razors ($11 for eight razors), the tri-bladed Mach3 turbo ($13 for five refills), and the top-of-the-line Gillette Fusion Proshield ($21.45 for four refills).
Subscribers are rewarded for their loyalty with their fourth order free, while others can text or email the company at any time to order for a one-time purchase.
Gillette is increasingly feeling the threat from startups like Harry's and the now Unilever-owned Dollar Shave Club, which are eating away at its dominance in the global men's-razor business.
Gillette claimed a US market share of 70% as recently as 2010, but it fell to 54% in 2016, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited data-tracking firm Euromonitor.
Harry's and Dollar Shave Club now combine for a 12.2% market share, up from 7.2% in 2015, according to Euromonitor.