Help me with a stock list

[Waistcoat]

Mods: My apologies if this is in the wrong place. Since I'm after advice, not selling anything I figured it would be best here but if it needs to be moved so be it.

Hi guys. I'm still in the midst of setting up shop in Australia. I want to focus mainly on the new guys to wet shaving, so rather than bewildering people with a mass of different products, I'm settling on a few different brands to start with. What I would like your opinions on are the core brushes I am going to stock. To be clear, I plan to offer the entire Simpsons range but will have only 5-6 brushes that are always available without a wait. I've narrowed it down to this:

Special in pure badger
Case in best badger
Colonel in best badger
Major in best badger
Persian jar in super badger

My thinking is for starters, I'll be selling to a lot of my military mates so I wanted to include two really good travel brushes. The special is obviously an entry point, and one for the ladies shaving their legs since they don't really need the extra softness. I'm also considering doing the special in best badger to offer a lower priced best than the colonel. What are your thoughts guys?

[jasonled75]

Carry these brushes they are Turkish horse hair. This brush lathers super quick and thick!

http://shop.bestshave.net/shaving-br...rush.no.7-p-80

They also sell wholesale to folkes like you who are starting their own buisness.
They have some good products for very cheap prices.

[djh]

I have more than a passing interest in brushes and I commend your bravery and wish you luck in the new venture. As far as stocking brushes for people new to wet-shaving is concerned, I would suggest that you forget the Major and add a different daily brush (perhaps a Duke?). IMO the Major is probably a great travel brush, but it is quite expensive and certainly less versatile than some other Simpson models, thereby making it more difficult to sell to newbies.
The Special, the Case (obviously) and I believe the Berkeley will all fit into the Simpson travel tube making them perfect travel companions as well as being great brushes for daily use. Mühle also offer a great travel tube, which will hold reasonably large brushes and might be a good option for you.
As far as the ladies are concerned, I believe that your thinking may be wrong. IMO, they appreciate softness in a brush and if they are lathering legs will also find a slightly larger brush to be useful.
Just my thoughts and YMMV obviously. Good luck.

[franz]

Drop the Special or the Case. Axe the Major. Replace with Duke, Chubby, and/or Commodore. Profit.

[Waistcoat]

Thanks for the opinions so far guys, they are much appreciated. I have 3 of the major, it will be interesting to see how quickly (if at all) they sell. At the worst I can use them as competition prizes to help build interest. The special I think was a miscalculation on my part, I thought that I should have an entry level pure badger brush, but there is only 15 bucks difference between it and the case in best which is what the first few people have gone for. Looks like the Commodore could be a goer I think and perhaps the Duke. No way am I going to stock the Chubby, it's too expensive to have on hand.

Thanks again guys :)

[klm099]

Please add some boar brushes, as in Omega. If I were to visit your store and not see some boar brushes (which I prefer by a wide margin) I would assume that you targeting a different demographic and that you were over priced.
Probably not a fair assumption, but I would purchase elsewhere and not return

but what do I know, I only have an MBA in marketing and 30 years experience with 2 fortune 500 companies running marketing, distribution, and sales

good luck with your new venture,
ken

[Mr.Oak]

but what do I know, I only have an MBA in marketing and 30 years experience with 2 fortune 500 companies running marketing, distribution, and sales

wow someone is full of themselves... This wasn't a question about your resume, he was asking about which products to stock in his store. Your first paragraph was sufficient.

p.s. marketing is like the ugly stepchild of business degrees. I'd be more impressed if it were finance or accounting.

[Dpflaum]

What are your thoughts guys?

I have to agree with you that the Special in Best is a great brush to add. It offers a ton of bang for the buck and is small enough to toss in a bag and go.

Just personal preference, but I would stock a Wee Scot or two as well. I'm not sure how many guys will want it, but it is the pinnacle of small brush technology

Best of luck setting up shop!

[franz]

Oho, the Special is in Pure. Yeah, I'd say choose the Case in Best or upgrade the hair grade on the Special. Better value. Here's what your list looks like:

Case (+ travel tube), Best
Colonel, Best
Commodore, Best
Duke, Best
PJ, Super

The Duke is a truly excellent brush. It's also popular enough that I imagine you would have no trouble selling it.

[Greyfox]

You need the Duke on that list.

[Waistcoat]

Thanks so much for all your help guys, I'm a lot more confident about brushes now. I'll be going the your suggested list, Franz, with the addition of some boar brushes.

[klm099]

wow someone is full of themselves... This wasn't a question about your resume, he was asking about which products to stock in his store. Your first paragraph was sufficient.

p.s. marketing is like the ugly stepchild of business degrees. I'd be more impressed if it were finance or accounting.

Quite true, someone who believes they are in a position to evaluate the quality of an MBA degree must be quite full of themselves, I offered the educational and professional credentials so hopefully the OP might read my advice more than once

I note you offerred no advice to the OP

BTW, I had enough finance courses to earn that degree but the company paying the bill wanted me in marketing, but I guess you know better than the management of a multi billion dollar company
PS. I used my step child degree to retire at age 50

whats the real rub guy, deal with it
ken

[SliceOfLife]

Nothing personal, I just can't resist...

[SliceOfLife]

Now that that's out of the way. It looks like you want to offer low-mid range Simpsons.

That in mind, I'd keep a cheap Pure option (Special should be fine), but add a Berkeley or Special in Best. I think the Colonel and Commodore appeal to the same market (long handle, vaguely similar specs), so I'd drop the commodore as the Colonel seems more popular. In my opinion the Major is heavily overpriced for the brush you get. How many people REALLY are willing to pay twice as much for a turnback over a brush and a container? I'd also add a Chubby 1 In Best as an option.


Giving you:

Special Pure
Berkeley or Special Best
Colonel Best
Chubby 1 Best
PJ Super

[nav]

I remember using my Berkeley in Best. Now THAT was an awesome brush. I would recommend that to a newbie anyday! I would also recommend it to just about anyone!

I misplaced mine but it really was one of my all time favourite brushes. A bonus is that it is one of the most cost-effective Simpson brushes on the market.

[Mr.Oak]

I offered the educational and professional credentials so hopefully the OP might read my advice more than once

I note you offerred no advice to the OP

BTW, I had enough finance courses to earn that degree but the company paying the bill wanted me in marketing, but I guess you know better than the management of a multi billion dollar company
PS. I used my step child degree to retire at age 50

I offered no advice because as much as you overvalue your opinion, I know that I am just a beginner in the shaving world and won't recommend based on my limited experience in brushes.

That's interesting, you had enough credits for a finance degree but decided you only wanted a marketing degree, instead of both... 1 MBA vs. 2 MBAs doesn't sound as marketable but what do I know I haven't retired at 50 yet.

This is internets, and it is surious bizinez.

[Suzuki]

Please add some boar brushes, as in Omega. If I were to visit your store and not see some boar brushes (which I prefer by a wide margin) I would assume that you targeting a different demographic and that you were over priced.
Probably not a fair assumption, but I would purchase elsewhere and not return

but what do I know, I only have an MBA in marketing and 30 years experience with 2 fortune 500 companies running marketing, distribution, and sales

good luck with your new venture,
ken

I agree completely with the boar brushes - also, Omega makes a decent travel boar brush that sells in North America for around $15, give or take.

To throw you in a completely different direction, why wouldn't you consider Rooney or Shavemac - I think they make a better brush at a better pice point and don't seem to have the QC issues that Simpson has (at leat that I think Simpson has).

[Alum of Potash]

I would suggest one or two horse-hair (Vie-Long) and synthetic (Omega) brushes for vegetarians and like-minded types.

[Waistcoat]

I agree completely with the boar brushes - also, Omega makes a decent travel boar brush that sells in North America for around $15, give or take.

To throw you in a completely different direction, why wouldn't you consider Rooney or Shavemac - I think they make a better brush at a better pice point and don't seem to have the QC issues that Simpson has (at leat that I think Simpson has).

Hi Suzuki,

It's not that I won't consider them, it's just that for the sake of my sanity and wallet I need to start as simple as possible. Right now I'm starting this up, writing my magazine, doing a masters degree, training for judo nationals in 5 weeks time and working full time in the army. While things are starting I just want to keep supply as simple as possible with a smaller range of quality products before I expand as things pick up and more importantly my time frees up.
For those that have suggested boar and synthetic brushes, yep I will be stocking a couple of each.