Procter & Gamble is clearly set on finding new ways to sell its products and part of that is taking the company's brands directly to consumers.
Consider that P&G has:
- Acquired licenses to operate its Mr. Clean Performance Car Wash concept in over 40 states;
- Worked with TheEssentials.com, an independently owned website that only sells products manufactured by the consumer products giant;
- Invested in Ocado, an online grocer in the U.K.;
- Just acquired the The Art of Shaving, a high-end chain that provides grooming services along with products primarily to a male consumer base.
The Art of Shaving, which operates 36 locations around the U.S., also sells its own branded goods at merchants including Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom. The company's five-blade razors sell for $150 and up while retail prices on its brushes start at $55.
P&G has worked with The Art of Shaving in the past with the two companies partnering on shaving products that used Gillette Fusion blades.
P&G spokeswoman Kelly Vanasse told the Business Courier of Cincinnati that the acquisition would help the company "learn a lot about operating retail locations" and would broaden "our footprint in prestige."
Discussion Question: What do you think of P&G's acquisition of the Art of Shaving? What are your thoughts on its experimentation with different methods of selling its products directly to consumers?