NoSHAVEmber? No Problem for Online Razor Retailers

How Novembeard Celebrations Impact Consumer Demand for Shaving Products

Each November, men and women around the world raise awareness for different kinds of cancers by forgoing their usual shaving habits. With NoSHAVEmber around the corner, our team analyzed how U.S. consumer demand is impacted by the annual worldwide movement. Highlights from the report include:

• Gillette: The most popular brand among U.S. consumers
  • Most popular types of Gillette razors
  • Men vs. women: What types of Gillette razors do consumers search for most?
  • When are Gillette razors in highest demand?
• Aftershave vs. beard oil: What are consumers searching for most?
  • When is beard oil in highest demand?
• Planning around consumer trends for your ecommerce shave shop

Whether you call it NoSHAVEmber, Novembeard, or No-Shave November, this annual global celebration sparks the conversation around various cancers. It’s no surprise that the month-long movement has some implications for ecommerce razor brands. To help online shave shops plan better for changes in consumer demand, we analyzed search data from U.S. Amazon shoppers between 2019 – 2022. With these insights at their disposal, shop owners will have the competitive edge they need to meet their business goals.

Gillette: The Most Popular Brand Among U.S. Consumers

Looking at total search data from 2019 – 2022 across the top eight most popular razor brands, Gillette razors (33%) were the most popular among U.S. consumers. Rounding out the top three were Venus razors (25%) and Dollar Shave Club (19%):

Since Venus is technically owned by the Gillette brand (Venus is Gillette’s women’s razor line), it’s fair to say that Gillette holds the top two spots in terms of search popularity.

Most Popular Types of Gillette Razors

We wanted to know which of Gillette’s razor lines were most popular among U.S. consumers. By far, the Gillette Mach 3 was most popular with 36% of total searches between 2019 – 2022. The Gillette Fusion and Venus rounded out the top three at 20% and 10%, respectively:

Men vs. Women: What Do Consumers Search for Most?

Since Gillette’s men’s razors eked out Venus in both brand and razor type, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that men’s razors, in general, are more popular among U.S. consumers. In fact, searches for Gillette men’s razors held 87% of the total share of searches between 2019 – 2022:

Using this data, razor retailers should ensure their inventories reflect the high-demand products among their target consumers.

Gillette Razors Demand Increases in Warmer Months

Knowing what’s popular is helpful, but it’s also important to understand consumer preferences in the context of when demand is at its highest. Using 2021 as the baseline for consumers’ “new normal,” we analyzed how weekly searches for Gillette razors compared to the annual average.

Unsurprisingly, during No-Shave November, demand for Gillette razors takes a dip. By the week of November 21, consumer demand falls 12% below the annual average. However, demand surges after the holidays hitting 15% above the annual average during the week of December 26. Increased demand during this time may be attributed to the fact that consumers have spent the entire month prior growing out their hair and are now in desperate need of grooming.

Demand for Gillette razors is highest during the late spring and early summer season. This is likely because warmer weather makes it less comfortable to sport a beard.

Aftershave vs. Beard Oil: What are Consumers Searching for Most?

Additional insights can be gathered about Novembeard’s impact on shaving products by comparing demand for aftershave to beard oil. In general, there are more searches for beard oil than for aftershave among U.S. consumers. Beard oil searches accounted for 91% of total searches compared to aftershave between 2019 – 2022:

With the shutdown of barber shops and hair salons from 2020 – 2021 due to the global pandemic, many people opted to grow out their facial hair. This could be a possible reason why beard oil searches were so much more popular than aftershave from 2019 – 2022.

Beard Oil Demand Increases in Colder Months

While beard oil is the clear winner among U.S. consumers, there are specific times of year when beard oil is in highest demand. During No-Shave November, consumer demand for beard oil soars to 28% above the annual average. By comparison, demand for aftershave products only increased to 3% above the annual average during the same period:

Demand for beard oil is at its highest during the coldest months of the year (November – February). This makes sense since it’s more comfortable to grow and maintain a beard when the temperature is lower. The same relationship between aftershave demand and warm weather can be observed: From April – May when temperatures rise, demand for aftershave skyrockets to 23% above the annual average. It's also interesting to note that demand for aftershave increases again from September – October. One possible reason for why this could be the case is because many people prepare for Novembeard by getting in one final, close shave before their month-long hiatus.

Leverage Consumer Trends for Your Ecommerce Shave Shop

Using what we uncovered about consumer search history for shaving products, online razor retailers can prepare their stores better for changes in demand. First, ecommerce shave shops should ensure they have plenty of Gillette razors in stock since this is the most popular razor brand by far among U.S. consumers.

Since men’s razors (particularly the Mach 3 series) are most popular, it’s a good idea to have more of these available. While Gillette razors are in highest demand during the warmer months, there is a small uptick following Novembeard in December. Knowing this, retailers should plan to market to consumers during this time and coordinate with their inventory and shipping departments to satisfy demand.

Beard oil is increasingly popular among U.S. consumers thanks to changed grooming habits induced by the pandemic. However, there are still clear seasonal demand patterns for beard oil. November – February is when beard oil is in the highest demand, so retailers should coordinate their marketing, inventory, shipping, and service departments accordingly.

‍Data like these are the driving force behind a successful ecommerce strategy. Request a demo from Pattern to discover how to use powerful insights like these to reach your selling potential.