History of Gillette: Innovation & Razor Business Lessons

A Look Into Gillette

Gillette did more than make razors. It changed how people shave and how companies think about pricing and repeat sales.

The story starts with one frustrated shave and grows into a global business that still shapes its industry over 100 years later.

The Shaving Problem Gillette Saw

At the end of the 1800s, men were moving from long beards to clean faces and neat mustaches.

Most men had two choices. They visited a barber several times a week or risked shaving at home with a straight razor that needed skill and frequent sharpening.

King Camp Gillette saw a gap. He wanted a simple, safe shave that any man could manage at home.

Founders And Early Invention

In 1895, King Gillette had his big idea while shaving with a dull, permanent razor.

He imagined a thin, disposable blade that would be cheap to make and easy to replace.

Gillette had worked for William Painter, the inventor of the disposable Crown Cork bottle cap.

Painter urged him to focus on a product people would buy again and again.

Gillette liked that idea. He wanted a low-cost, repeat purchase product, not a one-time sale.

He struggled to find someone who could manufacture his very thin blades at scale.

Many engineers said the idea was impossible or impractical.

In 1901, MIT-trained engineer William Nickerson agreed to take on the challenge.

That same year, Gillette and his partners formed The American Safety Razor Company in South Boston.

Nickerson worked on the technical problems. Gillette focused on raising about $5,000 to fund commercial production.

By 1903, the company finally produced marketable blades and razors.

Sales were minimal at first, with 51 razors and 168 blades sold in 1903.

In 1904, Gillette received the key patent US775134 for the razor on November 15.azor and its disposable blade.

The company changed to The Gillette Safety Razor Company in July 1902.

Early Growth, World War I, And Going Global

Gillette leaned heavily on print advertising to build trust in a new way to shave.

Sales climbed quickly as more men tried the system and told others.

During World War I, the U.S. government supplied 3.5 million razors and 36 million blades via Gillette in 1918.

Gillette hired hundreds of new workers and ran plants around the clock to fill the order.

Those soldiers took the shaving habit home after the war and became loyal customers.

Gillette also moved quickly into overseas markets.

In 1905, the company opened its first branch in London.

Soon it had operations in Paris, Russia, Austria, Scandinavia, and Germany.

By the 1920s, a large share of profits came from foreign business.

By the early 2000s, before its sale to Procter & Gamble, Gillette operated plants in 27 countries and sold in over 200 markets.

More than half of its sales came from outside the United States.

Setbacks, Lawsuits, And Leadership Changes

The company’s first major crisis hit in the late 1920s.

AutoStrop Safety Razor Company, controlled by Henry J. Gaisman, sued Gillette for patent infringement over a blade process.

The dispute ended in a forced merger, which gave Gaisman major influence inside Gillette.

During merger negotiations, AutoStrop examined Gillette’s books.

They discovered that Gillette had overstated its sales and earnings by a large amount over several years.

Investor trust fell sharply, and Gillette’s share price dropped as the news spread.

The Great Depression added more pressure.

In 1931, specifically May, King C. Gillette was replaced as president amid the AutoStrop merger.

New leaders were brought in to steady the business and rebuild investor confidence.

Innovation As A Competitive Edge

Gillette’s answer to competition was simple. It kept making the shave better.

The company improved blades, coatings, and razor designs again and again.

In the 1930s, Gillette introduced new blades and brushless shaving creams.

In 1915, it had launched the Milady Décolleté, an early safety razor for women.

In 1953, it introduced Foamy shaving cream in an aerosol can and kept broadening grooming products.

The 1960s brought a major shock.

Rival Wilkinson Sword launched long-lasting stainless steel blades and disrupted the market.

Gillette responded with its own stainless blades and doubled down on research and development.

In 1971, Gillette launched Trac II, the first twin-blade cartridge system.

Later it rolled out Atra with a pivoting head and then Atra Plus with a lubricating strip.

It also introduced disposables like Good News to compete with Bic.

In 1998, Gillette launched MACH3, a three-blade system backed by heavy advertising and many patents.

In 2000, it launched Venus as a dedicated women’s razor brand.

In the 2000s, the Fusion line added five blades and new features at the high end.

In recent years, Gillette has experimented with premium devices.

Examples include heated razors and other high-tech handles aimed at frequent shavers.

Innovation remains the core of its competitive strategy.

Business And Pricing Strategies

Gillette is the classic example of the “razor and blade” model.

The handle is sold at a low price. The replacement blades bring in repeat, higher-margin revenue.

This model let Gillette build a huge base of users and earn steady income as they replaced blades.

The company also timed product launches carefully.

It often released a new system as patents on older products neared expiry.

Gillette spread its risk through acquisitions.

It bought Toni Company in 1948 and Paper Mate in 1955.

It added Braun in 1967 and Duracell in 1996.

By the 1970s and 1980s, Gillette was more than a razor company.

It owned brands in hair care, pens, small appliances, and batteries.

This mix helped it stay strong even when razor markets slowed in some regions.

Marketing, Sponsorships, And Brand

Gillette’s marketing story starts with simple print ads.

Early ads in business magazines helped sell the first safety razors to cautious buyers.

In 1910, Gillette ran a famous ad that featured baseball stars, including Honus Wagner.

The message was clear. Successful men trusted Gillette.

By the 1940s, Gillette was a major sports sponsor.

It backed events such as the World Series, the All-Star Game, and top horse races and bowl games.

Its “Cavalcade of Sports” broadcasts helped tie the brand to big moments in sports.

Gillette moved early into radio and then television.

By the 1980s, it produced memorable TV spots that linked shaving with confidence and success.

In 1989, Gillette launched the slogan “The Best a Man Can Get.”

That line anchored campaigns around performance, masculinity, and everyday excellence.

Later, the company updated this with “The Best Men Can Be” to address modern expectations of male behavior.

Gillette Under Procter & Gamble And Modern Challenges

In 1996, Gillette bought Duracell and added a global battery leader to its portfolio.

In 2005, Procter & Gamble acquired Gillette in a major consumer goods merger.

Gillette became part of P&G’s grooming and personal care group while keeping its brand identity.

The 2010s brought new kinds of competition.

Startups like Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s offered cheap blades by mail and direct-to-consumer subscriptions.

They challenged both Gillette’s prices and its traditional retail channels.

Gillette responded with its own shave clubs, new pricing, and more frequent promotions.

It also leaned into premium products and brand storytelling.

The 2019 “The Best Men Can Be” campaign sparked debate but showed the brand was willing to tackle social themes.

Lessons From Gillette For Business Owners

Gillette’s history offers many lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders.

These lessons apply whether your business is small or global.

Keep improving your core product

King C. Gillette famously said they would stop making blades only when they could no longer make them better.

The company kept that promise by launching better systems before old ones became stale.

Even in mature markets, product improvement can defend your margins.

Choose a business model that fits repeat use

Gillette did not rely on selling a razor once.

It built a system that encouraged frequent blade replacement.

Think hard about where your long-term revenue really comes from.

Protect your edge, but adapt to challengers

Wilkinson Sword’s stainless blades, Bic’s disposables, and modern subscription startups all forced Gillette to adapt.

The company answered with new materials, new systems, and new channels.

Defending your position does not mean standing still.

Be transparent and watch your numbers

The AutoStrop dispute and accounting problems hurt Gillette’s reputation and share price.

They also forced leadership changes.

Clean financial reporting is not just about rules; it protects your brand.

Seize big opportunities, even when they stretch you

The World War I contract was risky and demanding.

Gillette hired many new workers and ran plants nonstop.

That bold move created millions of new loyal customers.

Think globally, but respect local markets

Gillette expanded abroad early and treated international sales as a core growth driver.

It built plants near key markets and adapted marketing to local cultures.

Small businesses can borrow the same mindset on a smaller scale.

Gillette Timeline

1895:

King C. Gillette conceptualizes an idea for a thin, disposable razor blade while shaving with a dull razor.

1901:

Gillette incorporates The American Safety Razor Company in South Boston to develop and market his new system.

1903:

Gillette begins commercial production of safety razors and disposable blades and records its first sales.

1904:

Gillette receives a key patent for its safety razor and disposable blade combination.

1905:

Gillette opens its first overseas branch in London and starts building a global presence.

1915:

Gillette launches the Milady Décolleté, an early safety razor designed and marketed for women.

1918:

Gillette fulfills a major U.S. military order for millions of razors and blades during World War I.

1921:

Gillette’s original patent expires, and the company promotes its New Improved razor to stay ahead of competitors.

1931:

King C. Gillette steps down as company president following the AutoStrop merger and financial fallout.

1948:

Gillette begins a wave of acquisitions by purchasing the Toni Company, a home permanent business.

1953:

Gillette introduces Foamy shaving cream in an aerosol can, expanding its grooming product line.

1955:

Gillette acquires Paper Mate and enters the global writing instruments market.

1967:

Gillette acquires Braun AG and strengthens its position in electric grooming appliances.

1971:

Gillette organizes itself into four main divisions, including Safety Razor, Paper Mate, Personal Care, and Toiletries.

1996:

Gillette acquires Duracell, adding a leading battery brand to its portfolio.

2005:

History of Gillette: Innovation, Strategy, and Lessons