Dollar Shave Club, a US-based membership concept selling razor blades by mail order, is set to add a new range of male grooming products into the Australian market after receiving a new round of funding.
Originally established to address over priced blades and the poor shopping experience that comes with buying razor blades, Dollar Shave Club launched in the US in March 2012 after receiving around $10 million from venture capital firms following a cheeky YouTube video featuring CEO and co-founder, Michael Dubin.
It launched in Australia in December last year, its first international market outside of North America.
Dollar Shave Club now has more than 330,000 subscribers and has raised another US$12 million in funding, led by Venrock, Comcast Ventures, New World Investors, and Battery Ventures.
Sam McDonagh, Dollar Shave Club’s GM Australia, said: “Dollar Shave Club understands the huge opportunity in the multi-billion dollar men’s grooming market, to provide high-quality products that are affordable and appealing to members. Through our new products we continue to broaden our focus as a men’s lifestyle brand. We want to own the man in the bathroom – and this is a step towards that.”
“Since expanding into Australia less than 12 months ago we’ve seen Australian men embrace the product and the brand, choosing a more competitively priced and convenient way to get their razors and blades. We’re excited to be able to extend that offering to their other grooming needs with the same cost and time savings.”
The new products will be available for purchase in Australia in the coming months through the Dollar Shave Club site.
Following the success of its first Youtube clip, which has gained almost 12 million views to date, the company has made a long anticipated second video for its new One Wipe Charlies product.
Dollar Shave Club will also be using an edited version of its launch video for TV advertising in Australia this spring/summer and continues to explore new ways to promote its products such as ‘beardvertising’.
