Thread: Why the Art of Shaving business/marketing model is such a missed opportunity

Every time I shave with an AoS product, a sandalwood soap, a lemon pre-shave oil, aftershave balm, etc...I'm always really impressed by it's performance. They really do top notch products for the most part. Some even exceptional. So then I ask myself, why do I find this company so uninspiring and difficult to champion. Well, the obvious answer is their ridiculous pricing, but I think it goes deeper than that.

If you look at the vibe, they are clearly trying to cultivate the aesthetic of an apothecary one would find on Bond Street or Piccadilly. And I get that. I appreciate a sophisticated look steeped in hundreds of years of tradition. The problem is that if you step back a few feet from your average AoS store, you see it's in a mall sandwiched between a Foot Locker and a Wetzel's Pretzels. So, they're kind of wearing a smoking jacket and jean shorts at the same time, if you get my analogy.

Where AoS misses the mark is that, by being in the malls of America, they should drop the act and start bringing wet shaving to the people. Lose the stuffiness, lose the "luxury pricing" that is so misguided and make wet shaving fun for your average Joe. Then maybe when I pop in for my pre-shave oil, I won't be the only customer in the store time after time.