“Gillette, Schick and Bic basically have been riding the golden goose. It’s very similar to how printers work, in that you get people to buy the handle and the system and you can just kill them on the refills because there are really no other options ” says Tim Barrett of Euromonitor International. While a number of companies have taken on the incumbents, not much has been done for the women’s market which accounts for 30% of the razor market in the US. This is where Billie comes in. It’s a female-first female shave and body brand that provides reasonably priced blades with no shipping fees delivered to your door – a la Dollar Shave Club or Harry’s just for women.
AlleyWatch spoke with cofounder Georgina Gooley about the company’s launch, its future plans, and how they are determined to eliminate “the pink tax”.
Tell us about Billie.
Billie is a female-first shave and body brand – we deliver razors and body care products that are uniquely designed for the way women shave at half the price of the competition.
How is Billie different?
Our goal is to offer women a premium shave experience at a fair price: our blades are encased in 360° aloe shave soap, our handle is ergonomically designed for optimal grip and control when shaving in the shower and our body care products contain only healthy ingredients that are paraben and toxin-free. We deliver direct to customers and with free shipping on all razor subscriptions.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
Billie is focused on the women’s shaving category – given half of the population is female and most of them shave, it’s a pretty sizable market.
What is the business model?
Billie is a direct-to-consumer, subscription-based model, which allows us to keep prices as affordable as possible – we deliver your Billie Shave Plan to your door for $9, you tell us how often, and shipping is free.
What inspired the business?
Most shaving companies are created for men and unfortunately women are an afterthought in the shaving category. We wanted to create a shave and body brand that puts women first – premium products delivered at a fair price.
How do you plan to compete with the larger, well-established incumbents in the space?
Our goal is to deliver a superior customer experience – that means designing premium-quality products, delivering them to our customers’ doors at half the price of the incumbents and ensuring our customers are happy every step of the way.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
The first six months will be focused on generating as much awareness of Billie and ensuring every one of our customers has an exceptional experience with our product and brand.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Sometimes it’s ok to follow your instincts – data is great but your instincts are equally as powerful.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
Iris Apfel because I want to be her when I grow up.
Why did you launch in New York?
New York City is our home – both Billie Co-Founders live here.
What’s your favorite restaurant in the city?
Right now, I’m a big fan of Chinese Tuxedo.
