Gillette widens reach with hair and body care ranges

Gillette is moving beyond the razor blade and deeper into the bathroom with the launch of hair care and body wash product lines.

Procter and Gamble (P&G) bought the shaving brand two years ago and has been expanding its reach with new offerings ever since.

The company launched a Gillette skin care brand Pure Divine on a test market in the second half of last year and is now entering the bath and shower market.

Most significant brand extensions It is hailing the roll-out of the new body washes, shampoos and conditioners as the most significant Gillette brand extensions.

These launches are part of a concerted strategy by P&G to combine its strengths with those of Gillette's in the development of new products.

"We're generating revenue synergies by combining our superior science and male grooming expertise to introduce these adjacent Gillette-branded products," said P&G chief financial officer said Clayton C. Daley.

The company is also benefiting from the established brand strength of Gillette and the trust that consumers have in the household name.

At P&G's annual shareholder meeting in October, CEO A.G Lafley, reported on the integration of the leading shaving firm.

Fusion brand reaches sales milestone

He said P&G and Gillette were stronger together than apart and pointed to the Gillette Fusion brand as an illustration.

The company has now revealed that Fusion has become the fastest of its brands to reach one billion dollar sales.

"Gillette Fusion was launched in 2006 and has become P&G's 24th billion-dollar brand amid the largest acquisition in the history of the consumer goods industry," said Clayton C. Daley.