How Dollar Shave Club Lost Its Edge

Remember when Dollar Shave Club (DSC) shook up the shaving industry back in 2012? With their hilarious and edgy “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” video, they disrupted the market, promising quality blades at an unbeatable price. I was one of the many who fell for their charm—and their blades—and proudly remained a loyal subscriber for years.

But as it turns out, DSC’s roots were more marketing genius than a commitment to their customers. What started as a scrappy, consumer-focused brand ultimately fell victim to the same corporate greed they once mocked.

From Viral Stardom to a Billion-Dollar Buyout

Founded in 2011 by Michael Dubin and Mark Levine, DSC made a name for itself by offering a subscription model for razors, making shaving simple, affordable, and—dare I say—fun. Their viral video wasn’t just clever; it worked. Millions signed up, crashing their website after the ad launched in 2012.

In 2016, DSC’s success culminated in a $1 billion acquisition by Unilever. At first, the buyout seemed like a win for the brand. After all, with a parent company like Unilever, surely DSC could expand its product line while maintaining its original quality and charm. Or so we thought.

What Went Wrong?

The cracks started to show as the brand grew. A decade after their rise to fame, Dollar Shave Club was no longer the same. They quietly phased out the Executive blades—their best product, in my opinion—and replaced them with the inferior “Club Series” blades. This wasn’t just a downgrade; it was a betrayal of the loyal customers who had supported them for years.

When I realized they’d swapped out my beloved Executive blades without warning, I gave the new ones a try. Big mistake. The quality was so poor that I contacted customer support to switch back, which worked—briefly. A year later, they completely discontinued the Executive blades, leaving customers like me high and dry.

I wrote about my own experience as I struggled to figure out what happened to the old Dollar Shave Club razors. In my opinion, Dollar Shave Club lost sight of the very principles that made them successful: quality and customer satisfaction.

A New Chapter: Unilever Sells Majority Stake

If you thought Unilever’s involvement marked the end of DSC’s downward spiral, think again. In October 2023, Unilever sold a 65% stake in the company to Nexus Capital Management, a private equity firm, retaining only a 35% minority share. The sale signaled another shift, with Nexus Capital promising to invest in marketing and innovation. But let’s be honest: haven’t we heard this story before?

Private equity firms are notorious for squeezing profits out of struggling brands, and while Nexus may claim they’re committed to DSC’s future, the company’s recent history gives little reason for optimism.

Conclusion: A Case Study in Selling Out

Dollar Shave Club once stood as a beacon of disruption in an otherwise stale industry. But instead of staying true to its roots, the company chased the almighty dollar, leaving its customers behind.

For those of us who once swore by DSC, it’s a frustrating story of a brand that could have done better but chose not to. These days, I’ve moved on to better alternatives—blades that are actually f***ing great, the exact same ones DSC used to offer before they lost their edge!

The bottom line? If you’re still holding out hope for Dollar Shave Club to rediscover its former glory, don’t. Like so many great brands before it, DSC seems content to cash in while customers like us move on.