Why we don't simply sell everything based on price

I could make things pretty easy for myself.

10% off.

15% off.

Next week, another discount code.

After that, some promotion with a countdown.

And when nothing else works:

"Today only!"

It works.

At least in the short term.

But that is not how I want to build The Gentleman’s Shave.

Of course, price plays a role

I am not going to pretend that price is unimportant.

It isn't.

I compare prices myself.

You compare prices.

And when two shops offer the same product, you naturally also look at what it costs.

That is why we will continue to have promotions.

New brands.

Sets.

Black Week.

Seasonal offers.

Or simply a product where we deliberately offer a really good price.

But one thing is important to me:

A promotion should be a reason to buy – not the only reason to buy from us at all.

Constant discounts sound better than they are in the long term

If a product is 15% cheaper every other week, something pretty simple happens:

Eventually, no one buys it at the regular price anymore.

Why would they?

They just wait for the next code.

And that is exactly where the problem begins for me.

Then it is suddenly no longer about:

Is this a good shaving soap?

Is the scent interesting?

Does the brand suit me?

But only about:

When will it be cheaper again?

That is not how I want to sell products.

Of course, I could try to always be the cheapest

But that would be a race with no end.

Somewhere there will always be someone who can go even a euro lower.

Then I will go two euros lower.

Then the next one will go three.

And eventually, everyone will be selling the same product with less and less margin.

That will not make the shaving soap any better.

Nor the shop.

And in the long term, probably not the customer's selection either.

Because good brands, new products, and a broader range ultimately have to be financed somehow.

That does not mean we want to be expensive

That would be just as badly understood.

I do not want to charge exorbitant prices and then pretend that this is automatically premium.

A price must suit the product.

And of course, I look at what other retailers charge.

If we can be reasonably cheaper on a product without turning it into a pure price war:

Why not?

But I do not want our entire shop to operate solely on the lowest price.

I would rather have a product that you really want

Something else is more important to me.

If I can choose between:

another 10% off a soap that every retailer carries anyway

or

bringing an exciting brand into the range that is hard to find in Germany,

I know pretty quickly which one I find more interesting.

That is exactly why I want to retain some flexibility.

Testing new manufacturers.

Buying products that I do not know beforehand exactly how they will work.

Offering samples.

Expanding the range.

And sometimes simply trying something out because I believe:

You might like it.

Promotions should also feel like promotions

If there is a sale every day, there is no sale anymore.

That is how simple I see it.

So when we do a promotion, I want it to have a real reason.

A new brand.

A special set.

A change of season.

Black Week.

Or a product that we deliberately put in the spotlight for a few days.

Then the price can be really good.

But not all the time.

And yes – sometimes we simply have to move stock

That too is part of the truth of a shop.

Sometimes I have overestimated a particular variety.

Sometimes a product sells more slowly than expected.

Sometimes I want to make room for something new.

Then a discount can make perfect sense.

And I do not think we need to make a big deal out of it.

A curated range does not mean that every purchasing decision is automatically perfect.

That would be nice.

But that is not reality.

What I want to build instead

My goal is pretty simple:

I want you to visit The Gentleman’s Shave not just to see:

"What is on sale today?"

But rather:

"What is new there?"

Which brand has been added?

Which variety was selected?

Which set makes sense?

Which product have I perhaps not even had on my radar yet?

If we can achieve that, it will be worth much more to me in the long term than the next general discount code.

Does that mean we will never compete aggressively on price?

No.

Definitely not.

If a promotion makes sense, it can also be substantial.

Especially when we want to reach new customers.

Or when we want to make a brand really visible for once.

But then it should be a conscious decision.

Not our default state.

My conclusion

I could probably sell The Gentleman’s Shave faster with permanent discounts.

That might even generate more orders in the short term.

But I would rather build a shop where the reason to return is not:

"They will probably have 15% off again soon."

But rather:

"Let's see what they have found this time."

That might take longer.

But that is exactly what I want The Gentleman’s Shave to be built from.

Not the shop that always has everything at the lowest price.

But one that you like to check out to see what is coming next.