Dive Brief:
- Kroger announced in a press release Bromley’s For Men shaving and grooming products are now available at its Family of Stores, as well as through its delivery and curbside pickup services. The collection offers premium but affordable razors and replaceable blades, shaving accessories and skincare.
- Kroger's Our Brands team worked with skincare experts while developing the shaving and grooming collection.
- The statement cited a nationwide trial where 88% of participants said Bromley's razor provided a smoother shave compared to their current razor, and 80% said they would purchase the product.
Dive Insight:
Kroger's new grooming collection could be a boon for the grocer as reports indicate men are increasingly the main grocery shopper in the family. Eighty-four percent of male respondents in a 2017 Men’s Health poll said they are the primary grocery shopper in their household, according to The Shelby Report. That’s a 19% increase over the past decade. Other reports show the genders split a bit more evenly, nonetheless, more men than ever are hitting supermarkets.
What’s more, these men say they know what they want to buy ahead of time, are influenced by online ads and want to quick in and out trip to the store. Research shows men are top buyers of meat and alcohol, and are buying produce, snacks and household items in increasing quantities. Selling a well-known, quality brand men may trust and buy without too much thought could be a good strategy to boost Kroger's sales.
The Bromley partnership is the latest in a number of moves by Kroger to become a destination for premium private label products, Progressive Grocer reported. Earlier this month, Kroger announced plans to launch a new apparel brand, Dip, joining forces with fashion designer Joe Mimran, the name behind the iconic Club Monaco, Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan apparel brands.
As grocers fight for market space against nontraditional stores now selling food products, Kroger certainly isn't the first to expand offerings beyond the typical fruits, vegetables and other food staples. In May, Whole Foods said its new store in Bridgewater, New Jersey, will sell not only organic avocados and turnips but also "home, beauty and garden goods rooted in nature” in store-within-a-store Plant & Plate.
German grocery chain Lidl launched its own similar collection earlier this year, letting shoppers buy coffee tables, cotton rugs or touch lamps along with their bread or broccoli. Lidl has gone even further by selling a line of Heidi Klum’s sneakers as well.
As consumers increasingly call for convenience in shopping, perhaps grocery chains are looking at big box stores that sell a little bit of everything, such as Target, Costco or Walmart, and seeing the one-stop-shop as a way both to attract more customers and boost the bottom line by selling items with higher profit margins.
