$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry

Re:$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry by YokoZar on Sunday July 31, 2016 @04:54PM (#12198805)

The real threat to Gillette isn't new business models, it's the Mach 3 coming out of patent in the next two years. Soon after that you'll see off-brand Mach 3 compatible blades flooding discount retail outlets, and the whole "razor and blades business model" starts to break down.

That's why Gillette has been trying to transition people onto newer shaving systems (with however many blades) for the past decade. But people keep buying Mach 3, because it's great.

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Re:$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry by homero on Sunday July 31, 2016 @05:15PM (#12198902)

What's patented?

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Re:$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry by YokoZar on Sunday July 31, 2016 @05:19PM (#12198926)

I believe the entire handle, head, and connector bits. Probably also parts of the manufacturing process. When I bought a Mach 3 handle about 10 years ago there were at least 12 patent numbers printed on it.

There's a reason you haven't seen generic Mach 3 blades yet. The product came out in 1998, and blades from 1998 can still fit the system today -- no matter how many new patents Gillette chases, others will soon be able to reproduce exactly that.

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Re:$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry by kornholi on Sunday July 31, 2016 @05:20PM (#12198928)

https://www.google.com/patents/US6212777

Expires somewhere around 2018 (17 years after issuance)

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Re:$1B for Dollar Shave Club: Why Every Company Should Worry by nameless912 on Sunday July 31, 2016 @05:16PM (#12198907)

I'd guess the attachment mechanism.

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