Baz&Co’s founder James Dashwood-Chase talks to Retail Week about the story behind the men’s skincare brand, the gap in the men’s grooming market and the future of the sector.
James Dashwood-Chase has been a part of the growth story of a few successful businesses – including Tyrrells Crisps (launched by his father William) and Chase Distillery, which he co-founded. With men’s skincare brand Baz&Co, Dashwood-Chase is venturing into the growing and ever-evolving world of men’s grooming.
Baz&Co’s hero ingredient is basil – from which the brand gets its name. The basil is grown in vertical farms that require 95% less water than traditional methods. The skincare products are completely free from parabens, chemicals and aluminium salts.
Here, Dashwood-Chase talks to us about the story behind the innovative brand, filling the gap in the men’s grooming market and the future of the sector.
What is the story behind Baz&Co?
“Baz&Co has been a long time in the making, but we started the brand in October last year. We’re one year old now, which has been great for us to really understand what we’re trying to do.
“I found there was a lack of all-natural skincare products targeted to men. Most of the brands on the market a couple of years ago used the words ‘thunder’ or ‘steel’ to describe their products, or maybe had David Beckham as their brand ambassador.
“Nothing wrong with David Beckham, but I thought there was an opportunity to create something natural.
“And that’s why we started Baz&Co. It’s ultimately serving a problem that I personally had. I’m in my thirties now but you kind of go through your twenties, as a guy, making a lot of mistakes and not looking after yourself too much. I wanted to start prioritising my health.”
Why did you make basil your hero ingredient?
”A lot of people think Baz is a character or my name, which maybe one day it could be! We men are really simple creatures… So why basil? Basil, in Greek, is ‘basileus’ which means ‘king’. It was heralded as the king of herbs in centuries gone by due to its healing properties – it has high anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
“And I knew, being a farmer, that I really wanted to utilise basil. It grows particularly well in a vertical farm, which uses 95% less water than regular farming.”
How important is it for you to be a sustainable business?
“Because Baz&Co is very small we can be adaptive and start as we mean to go on. We use minimal or absolutely no plastic in our packaging. From sourcing ingredients to the influencers you might see on our social media, we’re trying to create a lifestyle: you look after yourself in the morning, you maybe eat healthier and you lead a much greener life.”
In terms of scaling the business, what is your plan for the next few years?
“A key thing for me is unlocking retail partners. The cost of customer acquisition and growing a digital brand has seen its challenges, although I think men’s skincare fits very well online because men find it awkward to shop for beauty in-store.
”We launched in Fortnum & Mason 10 months ago – it’s the perfect home for our brand – and we are in pharmacies such as John Bell & Croyden in Marylebone. But it’s a very small part of our business. We want to be in the best places, like John Lewis or Space NK. I just need to convince them that the male grooming market is growing.”
Where do you think men’s grooming is headed in the future?
“Every time I visit a Space NK and badger the sales rep behind the counter, they always say how much more interest they’re seeing from men buying skincare. But they just don’t have the stock availability.
”I think the market is growing. I still think it’s a challenge because men probably find it a bit more uncomfortable to go and talk about themselves. However, I definitely see it changing. And I think the whole reshaping of that is that the concept of masculinity is changing for sure.”
No comments yet