A CrowdBnk Investment:

Close Shave Society

Tax relief

About Close Shave

Close Shave Society (CSS) offers an alternative to the expensive and often frustrating task of purchasing razor blades by providing high quality razors for half of the cost. The Society achieves this through sourcing the blades directly from the premium quality German manufacturer partners of the company, which means skipping the middle man, and passing these savings on to the customer.

The offering starts at just £4 per month. Both men and women can choose the type of razor they wish to receive, how often they want delivery, and then a pack of four fresh cartridges will be sent straight to their door in a sleek package small enough to fit through the mail slot. A free handle is included in the first order and shipping is included in the cost. CSS offers the flexibility of not having long-term commitments and of joining the service without a minimum period required. Customers will also be able to change their subscription plan at any moment as well as sign up for more than one plan.

Being the first private-label razor subscription service to launch in the UK, where the male shaving industry was estimated at approximately $1bn (circa £600m) in 2012, gives CSS the opportunity to develop a loyal following of customers. CSS will be using a model that has proven to be successful in the US, for example Dollar Shave Club (DSC) which has received $22.8m in funding since 2011 from investors like Andreesson Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Battery Ventures, Comcast Ventures and White Star Capital. CSS is mindful of the differences in consumer behaviour between the UK and the US, therefore getting the message right for the UK market will be integral to the success of CSS.

Online premium razor blade subscription business at a significantly lower price than other leading brands

Investment Offer

26.87% of the equity is on offer for a £300,000 investment. The funds raised will be used to run a multi-channel campaign focusing on a creative strategy around the Anti-Brand and cost-effective image of the firm, concentrating on marketing and web development spend.

Exit Strategy

If successful, Close Shave Society management would consider the following main avenues of exit:

Trade sale to a strategic buyer e.g. a major shaving subscription companies in the US looking to enter the UK market
Trade sale to a competitor aiming at capturing additional market share
Sale to venture capitalists looking to take Close Shave Society to new levels

Rewards

Close Shave Society offers the following rewards to investors:

AmountOfferingAvailability

£10+A 1 month subscription to The Houdini 5 blade razor500

£50+A 1 year subscription to The Bullet-Tooth Tony 3 blade razor200

£100+A 1 year subscription to The Houdini 5 blade razor150

£250+A 1 year subscription to The Houdini 5 blade razor for you and two others100

£500+A 1 year subscription to The Houdini 5 blade razor for you and five others75

£1000+A 2 year subscription to The Houdini 5 blade razor for you and five others50

£5000+A lifetime supply of The Houdini 5 blade razor35

Investors should not consider investing so as to obtain a "reward" unless the size of the investment is suitable for them

Raised	£0
Days to go	Completed Funding period ended on 29 December 2014
Target	£300,000
Min. Investment	£10
Equity on Offer	26.87%
Investors (0)

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Attention all investors

The shares you are considering buying will be issued by unlisted companies which may have little or no trading history. Please read both our General Risk Disclosure Notice and Close Shave Society Specific Risk Factors carefully before investing. Do not invest more than you can afford to lose.

CrowdBnk Limited is an appointed representative of Resolution Compliance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 574048) with respect to equity investments only.

Learn more about Close Shave

Hey Guys, Congratulations on passing the crowdbnk bootcamp and on launching your campaign. I just want to drill down a bit more as to how you see yourself different from your male grooming by post competitors and plans to expand your product range or make your offer more unique as you go forward? There is another company in your market who supply not only blades and handles but grooming products too allowing them to capitalise in one hit. The one advantage you guys have at the moment is your price point, so I would be interested as to where you see the business going? Thanks! J

We believe that price is going to be the main factor for most people looking to take advantage of the razors by subscription service. As you suggest, we believe we are the most competitively priced. We do think that our offering can be improved upon with the addition of other toiletries, firstly grooming products such as shaving gel and after shave, but ultimately becoming a one stop shop for your bathroom cabinet. With the investment sought we are looking to scale up our product development. We already have a number of options ready to go should investment be secured, both for the potential of creating our own brand of grooming products to match our razors and also the option to team up with a number of boutique brands who meet our standards and brand style. Happy to discuss further or answer any other questions you might have.

Can you confirm the level of CrowdBnk's own investment as this is not split out in the proposed ownership structure?

We are delighted and excited to be investing in Close Shave Society. Upon a successful fund raise of £300,000, we will have invested close to £6000.

Is there any financial information available to show past trading performance?

The company’s accountant has prepared unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2014. Copies of these are available to potential investors on request.