As it happens, research by Randal C. Picker of the University of Chicago Law School has called into question the traditional story of Gillette and the razors-and-blades pricing strategy. Picker found that the timing of price changes for Gillette razors and blades, as well as the expiration date on the patent covering Gillette’s unique razor design, seems to undermine the notion that the company was employing the razors-and-blades strategy as commonly understood.
