P&G Scraps Deal to Buy Billie Razor Startup

Procter & Gamble has called off its planned takeover of women’s razor startup Billie, citing regulatory action to block the offer as anti-competitive.

The Federal Trade Commission submitted a grievance final month alleging the offer was “likely to outcome in significant hurt by eradicating opposition between the market place chief and an critical and increasing head-to-head competitor.”

P&G owns the Gillette razor manufacturer whilst Billie has discovered a market place market by advertising discounted women’s razors and attacking the sector for its “pink tax” practice of charging far more for women’s goods.

“We had been upset by the FTC’s conclusion and maintain there was interesting potential in combining Billie with P&G to greater provide far more consumers close to the globe,” the providers claimed in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Nonetheless, they included, “after owing thing to consider, we have mutually agreed that it is in each companies’ best passions not to interact in a extended lawful obstacle, but rather to terminate our agreement and refocus our means on other enterprise priorities.”

P&G declared in January 2020 it would receive New York-based Billie for an undisclosed sum. The customer goods giant claimed the membership-based, direct-to-customer manufacturer “complemented” its have razor merchandise portfolio dominated by the Gillette and Venus makes.

“The proposed acquisition came following years of declining market place share for P&G as similar digitally-concentrated price reduction razor opponents, these as Greenback Shave Club and Harry’s, emerged to obstacle the company’s throughout the world dominance in shaving,” the Cincinnati Enquirer claimed.

Grooming was the only unit that posted a product sales decrease when P&G documented its quarterly success in October 2019.  The obtain of Billie will “allow us to even more attain millennial and Gen Z females by a new, daring mind-set,” the unit’s chief executive claimed.

But the FTC claimed the merger would very likely hurt consumers by larger prices for women’s razors and “arrests Billie’s development as it was on the cusp of growing into brick-and-mortar retail outlets.”

“Procter & Gamble’s abandonment of the acquisition of Billie is good news for consumers who price very low prices, high-quality, and innovation,” Ian Conner, director of the FTC’s bureau of opposition, claimed Tuesday.

Courtesy of P&G

Federal Trade Commission, Gillette, P&G, Procter & Gamble, razors, Takeover