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Feature Article, January 2006
The Art Of Shaving
Specialty retail chain caters to growing demand for men's grooming products.
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The Art of Shaving has experienced 40 percent to 50 percent increases in revenue every year since 1996 (with the exception of 1999, when it doubled). Pictured here is the location in Bal Harbour, Florida.
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When entrepreneur Eric Malka and wife Myriam Zaoui stumbled upon shaving brushes and creams that would help Eric with his sensitive skin, they had no idea they were about to capture an untapped retail market. Zaoui, who has a background in the spa industry, was studying Chinese medicine and natural ingredients at the time, and the duo decided to put that experience to work to help the many other men who have similar shaving problems. So in 1996, they opened a small retail store, called The Art of Shaving, on New York's Upper East Side, dedicated to the best all-natural, aromatherapy-based shaving and grooming products found in the world. “Little did we know we were the first and only shaving specialty store in the world,” says Malka. “We started to get press attention, and customers started to flock in.”
The couple soon opened a second location on Madison Avenue, incorporating a barber/spa concept. Now, the company has eight locations and plans to open 10 more next year.
Zaoui is in charge of store design and has developed two concepts for the national store rollout, using classic dark wood fixtures, luxurious trimmings and warm colors to create a masculine environment. The brand's satellite store concept averages 500 square feet and offers The Art of Shaving's entire collection of natural products and handcrafted grooming accessories. The larger Shop & Barber Spa concept averages 1,000 square feet and includes a retail area plus an adjoining Barber Spa.
Currently, The Art of Shaving is sold at more than 200 luxury department stores, such as Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and, most recently, the new Bloomingdale's Soho. The brand is also found in more than 200 exclusive men's clothiers and apothecaries nationwide. In addition, The Art of Shaving products can be purchased online through its Web site, www. TheArtofShaving.com, or by mail-order from its catalog.
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The Art of Shaving is the only shaving specialty store in the world.
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One of the company's largest areas of expansion is within the mall environment with locations in Columbus Circle in New York, Bal Harbour Shops in Florida, Mandalay Place in Las Vegas, Century City Mall in Los Angeles, Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta, and Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York. “We're looking for high-end malls, like Neiman's, Nordstrom and Saks, that have the right co-tenancy and a lot of foot traffic,” says Malka. “We're also looking for co-tenants such as Tumi, Tommy Bahama, Hugo Boss and other luxury brands.”
The Art of Shaving products can also be found internationally at renowned retailers, such as Harrod's and Selfridges in England, Holt Renfrew in Canada and Barneys Japan. Currently, the company distributes to countries such as Italy, Korea and Japan and plans to roll out distribution to Sweden and France in the near future.
The Art of Shaving has experienced 40 percent to 50 percent increases in revenue every year since 1996 (with the exception of 1999, when it doubled), and in 2004, its revenue increased 275 percent over the previous year. Annual sales are expected to surpass $15 million this year.
Product makes up 99 percent of the company's revenue, with services offered as more of a way to help promote business. But even in the stores that don't have a barbershop, there is still an element of the barber chair, and The Art of Shaving offers monthly events where customers can get treated to a great shave.
“Our business, unlike all these new businesses popping up around the country, is primarily retail,” Malka notes. “The ones competing with us are primarily a service business.”
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Inside The Art of Shaving's Bal Harbour, Florida, location.
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In terms of competition, no one is expanding with a men's grooming retail concept in the way that The Art of Shaving is, according to Malka.
“By the end of next year, we'll be the largest men's grooming specialty retailer in the world,” he says. “There are some companies that have up to three stores, but our plan is to go up to 50 within the next 3 years.”
And that means a unique offering that targets the male consumer for mall developers.
“Malls in America love having a point of difference,” notes Malka, “and when they can find a new concept that's viable, that's just starting out and expanding like we are, and that creates something novel and different from every other mall in the region, that's an appealing point.”
— Susan H. Fishman
©2006 France Publications, Inc. Duplication or reproduction of this article not permitted without authorization from France Publications, Inc. For information on reprints of this article contact Barbara Sherer at (630) 554-6054.
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