By SEAN GREGORY Sean Gregory – Wed Jan 6, 4:55 am ET
The place feels like a jewelry store. Wood furnishings give the display that luxury vibe; sterling-silver pieces sit inside glass-enclosed cases. But at the Art of Shaving, a 14-year-old retail outlet that sells high-end grooming products, shoppers aren't searching for diamonds and pearls. It's the razors that rule the room.
Want to pay $3,400 for a sterling-silver razor,
stand and brush? Believe it or not, there's actually a store for you. The Art of Shaving has 36 outlets around the country, and is set to expand. While sales took a predictable hit during the worst of the recession, perhaps it's a positive sign for the economy that the Art of Shaving's revenues rose 19% during the last quarter of the year. If people will fork over insane amounts of money to properly trim their facial hair - in a New York City store, a razor with a nickel-plated brass handle costs $175 - perhaps national spending will finally loosen. "We're definitely linked to the economy," says Eric Malka, co-founder and CEO of the Art of Shaving. "As consumer confidence comes back and the stock market comes back, our consumers have been more willing to purchase our products." (See the best business deals of 2009.)
They have a website. I'll pass.
The place feels like a jewelry store. Wood furnishings give the display that luxury vibe; sterling-silver pieces sit inside glass-enclosed cases. But at the Art of Shaving, a 14-year-old retail outlet that sells high-end grooming products, shoppers aren't searching for diamonds and pearls. It's the razors that rule the room.
Want to pay $3,400 for a sterling-silver razor,
stand and brush? Believe it or not, there's actually a store for you. The Art of Shaving has 36 outlets around the country, and is set to expand. While sales took a predictable hit during the worst of the recession, perhaps it's a positive sign for the economy that the Art of Shaving's revenues rose 19% during the last quarter of the year. If people will fork over insane amounts of money to properly trim their facial hair - in a New York City store, a razor with a nickel-plated brass handle costs $175 - perhaps national spending will finally loosen. "We're definitely linked to the economy," says Eric Malka, co-founder and CEO of the Art of Shaving. "As consumer confidence comes back and the stock market comes back, our consumers have been more willing to purchase our products." (See the best business deals of 2009.)They have a website. I'll pass.
