The Story of Mens Grooming Startup Bombay Shaving Company

In the past grooming products were traditionally targeted at the female gender.  However, with changing times and perceptions grooming is now a gender neutral term.  Grooming is now essential for looking great and making a good impression.  However, in a market which is traditionally saturated with products from FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) for women, a startup saw potential in men’s grooming products.  Bombay Shaving Company, found the men’s grooming market in India was largely unorganised and was largely limited to just shaving products.  Today there are products like body wash, soaps, oils, shampoos, creams and perfumes for men’s grooming and the popularity of grooming products is due to brands like Bombay Shaving Company, Beardo and Ustraa.

Beginnings

Bombay Shaving Company was founded in 2015 by Deepu Panicker, Rohit Jaiswal, Shantanu Deshpande and Raunak Munot who are all friends.  It all began with Shantanu, who was a software engineer working for McKinsey in the United States of America.  A chance discussion with a friend who was interning at Harry’s, a New York based shaving brand piqued Shantanu’s interest.  The friend spoke about how shaving brands in America are challenging the likes of Gillette and PRO, which led Shantanu to the realisation that India could also use a disruption in the grooming space.  

Shantanu then spoke to his friends, family and  general consumers about shaving habits and came to the conclusion no one likes to shave because men hated the daily ritual of shaving.  This led to the birth of Bombay Shaving Company.  Shantanu soon roped in his school friend, Raunak Munot, who was the Director of Social Strategy, GroupM New York, and college friends, Rohit Jaiswal, the Head of Channel at Emel and Crompton Greaves, and Deepu Panicker, a senior analyst at McKinsey.

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Growth

The team worked with world class experts and manufacturers about fragrances, raw materials and worked with chemical engineers as well as packaging innovators.  The first five hundred customers were acquired purely through word of mouth.  Most of their products are constantly innovated depending on customer insights.  One example would be when a sizable amount of customers wanted the shave to be closer and aggressive, the team designed a new razor part and shipped it to their customers free of cost.  

Secondly, the Bombay Shaving Company team wanted to give their customers a great unboxing experience and it worked.  Customers began to share unboxing videos and pictures on social media and it worked wonders for their branding which led to an increase in sales.  The team also gave users the option to get their names engraved on the shaving razors to add a personal touch for free of cost.  Bombay Shaving Company raised $ 9 million in funding since its inception and now sells more than 40 products across four categories (shaving, bath, beard and skincare.)

Today Bombay Shaving Company has redefined the shaving experience and continues to grow.  In January 2021, Bombay Shaving Company raised $6.1 Mn (INR 45 Cr) in a funding round led by a UK based consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser.  This funding will be used to launch three new consumer brands in the market, invest in marketing and branding and penetrate deeper into the market, beyond the metros.

Let us know in the comments below if you have ever used any of the products of Bombay Shaving Company or plan to use in the future.