The price of razor blades has doubled in less than a decade as the growing trend for beards hits the sector.
Manufacturing giant Gillette cut the number of replacement cartridges in its Mach3 Turbo packs from five to four.
Yet the company’s smaller pack has jumped from £5 to £10 in just nine years.
Ben Hanson, from analysts Nielsen, said: “Male grooming is a sector that has suffered due to the trend towards beards and flexible working. Men shave less frequently.”
Gillette’s replacement razor cartridges are so expensive they are the high street’s most shoplifted products. But industry insiders insist they cost no more than 10p per cartridge to produce.
Martyn James, of consumer complaints site Resolver, said: “Razor blades are amongst the most stolen items because they’re so overpriced some resort to desperate measures.
“Stealing is wrong, of course, but so is ripping off customers.”
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