Hmmm... at least the price is the same... but I somehow feel like they're going to end the value offer sometime in the future without dropping the price, then add 2 more back into the pack and raise the price...

My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room.

Are we sure the one of the left is the old one? The way I've usually seen it is they introduce a value pack with "TWO FREE!" right before they move the overall size upwards. Doing it in reverse is pretty scammy.

I'd be curious to see if the brand-name blades (Gillette) are leading the way in this. The store brands usually follow suit.

somebody in the marketing department just got fired

@Bladefist: Or, more likely, promoted.

@Bladefist: How did you think so? We are now looking at and discussing their product on the front page of a popular web site. They are benefited far more positively than negatively by this, I think.

I think this is indicative of a lot of the reported 'sales' we've been hearing so much about. I saw day after day of post-Christmas news coverage about stores that would all but blow you to get you to remove the merchandise from their shelves. When we went to the mall during that time, we didn't find it to be different, in terms of actual prices, than any other week-after-Christmas period we remembered.

I think retailers are pushing the 'sales of the century' as a pr thing, but the actual savings are not that great.

FWIW, I did not shop for any high-end electronics, where the savings were rumored to be the most drastic. We wee just shopping for children's clothing.

Reverse marketing?
Promise less but deliver more?

@tc4b: That's "We were," all though we most likely did go wee-wee during the shopping trip.

I don't know if this is on-topic (I don't even know if you're familiar with Persona razors, even), but I think it's cool that they're made in the USA and all that, but Persona razors suck. I've never shaved with a worse razor -- you can tell the minute you take it out of the bag and start using it. The blades are either naturally dull, or they just stink, I don't know.

@Bladefist: "Just when I think you can't get any dumber, you go and do something like this...AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!"

Come on Ben, it's obvious this was a simple packaging mistake...they incorrectly marked their new bags as quantity "10", and had to mark it out and replace it with a "12". They did this to save the environment from the destruction that would be wrought by throwing away ten million incorrect disposable razor bags.

Such a nice corporation, looking out for us like that!

@mdmadph: Personally, if I'm going to buy cheap razors, I go store brand. Sure they suck, but I only end up paying a few cents for each one.

@mdmadph: If they're anything like the other disposables I've tried, they remove as much face as they do stubble. I forgot my razor on a trip and had to use a hotel-provided disposable once, and I felt like I was on the SNL Mach 20 commercial!

What about other packages? Could Personna be calling attention to the fact that other razor companies package their product in packs of 10, but THEY package by the dozen? Just saying, they might not be poised to do anything but attempt to profit off of the shrink ray hitting other products.

Now they have the added bonus of being able to shrink the package down to 10 a few months from now without facing charges that they're selling less razors for the same amount of money.

"What are you talking about? We're still selling the same amount of razors for the same price - ten! We've just stopped adding the 2 free bonus razors"

@InfiniTrent: ^ Talking about the marketing guy, not Bladefist.

Can "reader Ben" confirm if these were the same price? It's possible the 10-pack with 2 bonus was less...

That said, I come down on the side of those arguing that this is likely a way for Personna to start charging more for 12 razors once this "promotion" ends. I have noticed that several types of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, etc, that I buy are now "value size!" even though they contain the same net volume as before -- they just claim to be "20% more!" or such.

@speedwell, avatar of snark: this is what i cam here to say. i don't buy disposables, but blade refills come in packs of 5/10 normally. if the industry standard is 10, they could be accentuating the "2 free" razors.

still, it is at least a little deceptive.

@TinyBug: Bingo. You got the strategy right - this is a smooth transition to 10 per pack (after a suitable promo period, long enough to eliminate the old 12 packs from the shelves) at the old 12 per pack price.

@mac-phisto: Dont the 5 bladed Gillettes come in 4/8 packs? I don't buy disposables or cartridges, but I do know that my double-edge blades come in 5, 10, or 15/pack. Of course, my master plan is to find one brand I like, and order it online in boxes of 100, and hopefully drop the price to $15 for the whole thing (shipping included).

@jusooho: True. No such thing as bad publicity.

@Bladefist: I think I'll write that on the presidents stocking at the next Cicuit City Christmas party.

Clearly a case of price shaving.

@josephbloseph: i don't know about the 5-blade - i'm still on 3 blades. you might be right.

@Fresh-Fest-1986: You think there will actually be one next year? That's optimistic...

@Bladefist: Try like this: "Next time I am at the store buying razor blades, I will NOT buy Personna brand razor blades, in new 12 pack. I will NOT buy Personna brand razor blades ever again."

Its bad publicity but we are still thinking and talking about the product, and in 6 months when your are making your decision you may forget exactly why you are pull toward their package.

Ok, I have to. I tried to resist, but it's my biggest grammar related pet peeve. That's *number* of razors, not amount because the item being described can be counted.

But yes, I've noticed this on a few other items as well. It probably works as a marketing ploy, too.

@mdmadph: I have had the misfortune as well. Might as well shave with the lid of a discarded soup can.

That whole package probably still costs less than 1 Gillette Mach V Ultra Fusion Whatever cartridge.

I downgraded from Gillette's Mach III to some brand of disposable razors last year. Once I got used to them, and the burning and scarring cleared up, I found them not too bad.

/shakes fist at Gillette

I've seen grocery stores employ a similar version of this: they promote a product as being on sale at the price it had always been before they raised it. To wit: a can of beans that had been priced at 99 cents, is raised to $1.29; but, they will put it on "sale" for 30 cents off (99 cents) as a transition to the new higher price. You think you're saving money, but you're just delaying the new, higher price for duration of the "sale."

@mdmadph:

I can't speak to the disposable razors as seen in the picture, but the double razor blades by persona are pretty good. Also, I discovered through research when I was looking for a good razor blade that most store brand razors are persona (walmart, rite aid and CVS just to name a few).

That is so typical. Customers are seen as stupid. Whether they are or not is not the point. They shouldn't be treated that way by companies.

@kimsama: They were probably the same price. One of the problems with changing anything is dealing with the period where old stock and new stock is on the shelves. This is why the grocery shrink ray usually affects the depth of the rpoduct while leaving the height and width of the box the same. Since razors don't have expiration dates, there's a longer period of mix with old and new product than food. So they put the "10+2" packs out for six months and then the old stock should be gone. When they switch to 10 packs without the +2 then the old stock will go really quick as they are getting more for the same price.

@mdmadph: Their DE blades are pretty good, but I can't speak to their other ones.

@concordia: You sir, are pure, unadulterated win.

@idx: What's your weapon of choice? I'm currently on a Merkur Barberpole.

@rpm773:

That whole package probably still costs less than 1 Gillette Mach V Ultra Fusion Whatever cartridge.

Reminds me of this:

"What part of this don't you understand? If two blades is good, and three blades is better, obviously five blades would make us the best fucking razor that ever existed. Comprende? We didn't claw our way to the top of the razor game by clinging to the two-blade industry standard."

Of course, the blades themselves could be shorter but the total length of the blades in the bag could still equal the 10 blades. Makes you think you're getting more when you're not. And when they go to 10 razors, you will truly being getting less (maybe only 9 razors' worth of edge). Is there a standard size for blades in these packages? Since there's no standard size for a toilet paper sheet, Scott's was able to shrink the size of a sheet but they still claim 1,000 sheets in the roll.

I don't understand why this is a problem. You're getting the same quantity of product for (presumably) the same price. What's the issue?

Oh, the issue is that people shop by reading packaging, not shelf tags? Strange. I've heard that people also buy things based on these little 20-30 second mini-films they show between segments of television programs. It's the strangest thing.

@Bladefist: especially involving a pack of crappy razor blades

@Blueskylaw: Isn't that the secret to getting a promotion or raise?

Something to note on disposable razors, there is often no difference between the equivalent style, men's and women's razors, other than the color. I have tried both, and it doesn't matter. Sometimes the 6,12,etc... pack of men's razors is more expensive, sometimes the women's is. Check the packages carefully, you might be surprised to see that aside from color, nothing is different other than the price.

One thing I love about many items at the grocery store is UNIT PRICES. I stand in front of the cereals for many minutes comparing them to find the cheapest unit price. Then I don't have to compare the quantity versus price for every single item, I just pick the one with the lowest unit price.

I wish more stores would have unit prices. Especially places that sell bathing suits and other way-marked-up clothing. Can you imagine the unit price on a pair of jeans from Abercrombie versus Salvation Army?

@Rob Weddle: You lay off my Snuggie.

Am I the only one who hears Phil Ken Sebbin saying "Proooomotions!" on reading this?

@GuinevereRucker:
Um, unless you're buying jeans in 5-packs, isn't the "Unit Price" the same as the price on the item's tag?

Oh I can beat this one:

[tinyurl.com]

@Runs With Gophers: Ha ha! Birdman get in here...