The Federal Trade Commission plans to block the sale of on-demand razor company Harry’s to competitor Edgewell Personal Care (the parent company of Schick) because it says the acquisition “would eliminate one of the most important competitive forces in the shaving industry.” That’s a new take on the direct-to-consumer razor market, essentially making the argument that one brand is critical to prevent big companies from dominating — or rather, continuing to dominate — the $3 billion razor industry.
Edgewell sought to purchase Harry’s for $1.37 billion. But Harry’s, founded in 2012 by Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield, is a “uniquely disruptive competitor in the wet shave market,” according to a statement from the FTC, and an acquisition…