Edgewell Personal Care Company, and its subsidiaries, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and marketers of personal care products in the Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, and Feminine Care segments. With operations in approximately 20 countries, the company’s products are widely available in more than 50 countries.
Business Segments
The company manages its business in three operating segments: Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, and Feminine Care.
Wet Shave
Wet Shave products are sold under th...
Edgewell Personal Care Company, and its subsidiaries, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and marketers of personal care products in the Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, and Feminine Care segments. With operations in approximately 20 countries, the company’s products are widely available in more than 50 countries.
Business Segments
The company manages its business in three operating segments: Wet Shave, Sun and Skin Care, and Feminine Care.
Wet Shave
Wet Shave products are sold under the Schick, Wilkinson Sword, Edge, Skintimate, Billie, Shave Guard and the company’s custom brands group. The company manufactures and distributes Schick and Wilkinson Sword razor systems, composed of razor handles and refillable blades, and disposable shave products for men and women. While the company markets its wet shave products throughout the world, the company’s primary markets are the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, France and the U.K. The company holds the number two global market share position in wet shaving. The category is highly competitive, with brands vying for consumer loyalty and retail shelf space.
Billie’s strong direct-to-consumer and digital capabilities have underpinned its strong growth, which positioned the brand well for its initial expansion into U.S. brick-and-mortar in 2022. The Billie brand complements and strengthens Edgewell’s position in the women’s shaving category, adding to the company’s portfolio of strong brands such as Schick Intuition, Hydro Silk and Skintimate.
In the U.S., Canada and Japan, the company sells market-leading shave preparation products, including shaving gels and creams under the Edge, Skintimate and Shave Guard brands.
The company also manufactures, distributes and sells a complete line of private label and disposable razors, shaving systems and replacement blades. These private label wet shave products including emerging direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, are sold primarily under a retailer’s store name or under its value brand names such as Edgewell Custom Brands.
Sun and Skin Care
Sun and Skin Care products are sold under the Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Bulldog, Jack Black, Cremo and Wet Ones brand names. The company markets Sun Care products under the Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic brands and these brands, on a combined basis, hold a leading market share position in the U.S. Sun Care category. Outside of the U.S., the company is the leading Sun Care manufacturer in Mexico with significant presence in Australia and Canada. The company expects to continue to drive its worldwide Sun and Skin Care business through product innovation, increased distribution and geographic expansion.
The company offers Wet Ones antibacterial hand wipes and other related products as the leader in the U.S. portable hand wipes category. The company has acquired a portfolio of men’s grooming skin care products that have grown under its direction. The company’s Bulldog skincare products are purpose-built for men and were created to work simply and efficiently while dealing with issues specific to men’s skin. Since acquiring Bulldog, the company has expanded sales geographically and it continues to commit resources to further growth and distribution for the brand. The company acquired the Jack Black brand and obtained a footprint in the luxury men’s skincare market and continue to use resources at its disposal to grow the Jack Black brand globally. The company’s Cremo products compete in the masstige category for men’s grooming and offer a complete line of barber quality beard, hair and skin care products.
Feminine Care
In Feminine Care, the company markets products under the Playtex, Stayfree, Carefree and o.b. brands. The company offers tampons under the Playtex Gentle Glide® 360°, Playtex Sport, Playtex and o.b. brands. The company also markets pads and liners under the Stayfree and Carefree brands. The company is one of the top three manufacturers of feminine care products in North America. The company expects to continue to invest in innovation in its feminine care brands.
Competition
The company’s principal competitors in the global wet shave business are: The Procter & Gamble Company, which owns the Gillette brand and is the leading company in the global wet shave segment; The Bic Group, which is expanding beyond its historical strength in the disposable segment; and Dorco, which competes primarily in the private label segment. The company also competes with newer entrants to the Wet Shave market for both DTC and traditional retail shelf space including Harry's, Flamingos, Estrid, Athena Club, Perio (Barbasol and PureSilk brands), Beiersdorf (Nivea branded women’s wet shave product in Germany) and numerous other online start-ups.
The markets for sun and skin care are also highly competitive, characterized by the frequent introduction of new products accompanied by major advertising and promotional programs. The company’s competitors in these markets consist of a large number of domestic and foreign companies, including Bayer AG and Kenvue.
The global men’s skin care market is expected to continue to grow, with increased demand for men’s personal care products. The company’s competitors in this market include large companies such as Kenvue, L’Oréal S.A., The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc. and Unilever, and numerous other smaller companies.
The markets for feminine care and other personal products are characterized by large manufacturers with global presence, as well as new market entrants, and is likewise very competitive, with a large number of domestic and foreign competitors, including The Procter & Gamble Company and Kimberly Clark Corp. With its acquisition of the Stayfree, Carefree and o.b. brands, the company expanded its presence within the feminine care product category and became one of the top three manufacturers in North America.
Sales and Distribution
The company’s products are marketed primarily through a direct sales force and supplemented by strategic exclusive and non-exclusive distributors and wholesalers. In the U.S., Japan, China, Australia and larger markets in Western Europe and Latin America, the company has dedicated commercial organizations, reflecting the scale and importance of these businesses to it. The company utilizes third-party distributors and wholesalers. The company has established e-commerce operations across several business lines, including global Schick.com websites providing men’s and women’s shaving products, Bulldog, Jack Black and Billie DTC sites, and an acceleration of e-commerce sales in China through its partnership with T-Mall. The company distributes its products to consumers through numerous retail locations worldwide, including mass merchandisers and warehouse clubs, food, drug and convenience stores, and military stores, and both traditional and modern trade customers outside of the United States.
Although a large percentage of the company’s sales are attributable to a relatively small number of retail customers, only Walmart Inc. and its subsidiaries (Walmart), as a group, account for more than 10% of its consolidated annual net sales. Walmart accounted for approximately 17.2% of its net sales in fiscal 2024. Purchases by Walmart included products from all of the company’s segments. Target Corporation represented approximately 9.5% of net sales for its Sun and Skin Care segment and 9.8% for its Feminine Care segment, respectively.
Seasonality
Customer orders for Sun Care products within the company’s Sun and Skin Care segment are highly seasonal, which has historically resulted in higher sun care sales to retailers in the United States during the late winter through mid-summer months. Within the company’s Wet Shave segment, sales of women’s products are moderately seasonal, with increased consumer demand in the spring and summer months.
Patents, Technology and Trademarks
The company owns a number of U.S. and international trademarks, which it considers of substantial importance, and which are used individually or in conjunction with its other trademarks. These include, but are not limited to: Edgewell, Schick, Schick Hydro, Schick Hydro Silk, Hydro Connect, Wilkinson Sword, Intuition, Quattro, Xtreme 3, Billie, Protector, Silk Effects, Slim Twin, Edge, Skintimate, Personna, Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Bulldog, Jack Black, Cremo, Gentle Glide, Sport, Sport Level Protection, Wet Ones, Stayfree, Carefree and o.b. As a result of the Playtex acquisition, the company owns royalty-free licenses in perpetuity to the Playtex trademark in the U.S. and in many international jurisdictions related to certain feminine hygiene and other products but excluding certain baby care and apparel-related products.
As of September 30, 2024, the company owned, either directly or beneficially, 301 unexpired U.S. patents, which have a range of expiration dates from October 2024 to February 2040, and it had 73 pending U.S. patent applications. The company routinely prepares additional patent applications for filing in the U.S. and actively pursues foreign patent protection in various countries. As of September 30, 2024, the company owned, either directly or beneficially, 1,220 foreign patents, having a range of expiration dates from October 2024 to August 2049, and it had 145 pending patent applications in foreign countries.
Governmental Regulation and Environmental Matters
The company is subject to various federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations by governmental agencies intended to protect the public health and environment, including those governing the manufacture, use, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials, labeling and notice requirements related to consumer exposure to certain chemicals, and requirements for the recycling of its products and their packaging. These agencies include, but are not limited to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) and equivalent international agencies that regulate ingredients in consumer products; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and equivalent international agencies that regulate its manufacturing facilities; and the Chemical Registration/Notification authorities that regulate chemicals that it uses in, or transport to, the various countries in which it manufactures and/or markets its products. The company has seen an increase in registration and reporting requirements concerning the use of certain chemicals in a number of countries, such as the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations in the European Union (the E.U.), which may impact its products.
Contamination has been identified at certain of its current and former facilities, as well as third-party waste disposal sites, and the company is conducting investigation and remediation activities in relation to such properties. In connection with certain sites, it has received past notices from the EPA, state agencies and private parties seeking contribution that it has been identified as a potentially responsible party (PRP) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and, as a result, it may be required to share in the cost of cleanup with respect to a number of federal Superfund sites.
The U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (“TSCA”) and similar laws in other jurisdictions are intended to ensure that chemicals do not pose unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. TSCA also sets forth specific reporting, recordkeeping and testing rules for chemicals, including requirements for the import and export of certain chemicals, as well as other restrictions relevant to the company’s business. When the company imports chemicals into the U.S., it must ensure that chemicals appear on the TSCA registry prior to import, participate in the SNUR process when a chemical the company imports requires testing data and report to the EPA information relating to quantities, identities and uses of imported chemicals.
History
The company was founded in 1772. It was incorporated in Missouri in 1999. The company was formerly known as Energizer Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Edgewell Personal Care Company in 2015.