Crisp Solutions was founded in 2001 by current CEO, Michael Clark, to be used as a platform to sell his newly created product, Shaver Guard. Shaver Guard is a shaver cleaning lubricant spray for men’s and ladies electric shavers. At the time of this product being developed, Michael was studying a Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University in Hawthorn and working as a part-time employee at the Shaver Shop in Knox City, Victoria. Click here to read the full story written by Michael of the challenges he faced in bringing the product to market.
About Us
Crisp Solutions is a highly experienced, yet energetic young company based in South Melbourne, Australia.
Crisp Solutions & The Shaver Shop
Many years of development saw the product finally named Shaver Guard and it was presented to Australia’s largest electric shaver retailer, the Shaver Shop, who represented a 95% market share of the Australian market.
Crisp Solutions and the Shaver Shop agreed on an exclusive product agreement and licensing component that allowed the Shaver Shop to use their own logo on every aerosol can. The agreement gave Shaver Shop the opportunity to maximise their return from Michael’s creation while still offering Michael an opportunity to build a business and benefit from his idea; A great long term win-win for both parties. The product quickly became the companion sale to every electric shaver purchased in the store and became the the Shaver Shop’s largest volume selling item. Market research and sales analysis further allowed the product to expand it’s position in the category with a women’s version called Ladies Guard which featured a unique fragrance and packaging.
Continued success of the Shaver Guard and Ladies Guard lubricant sprays allowed the category to expand yet again with the development of a new product called Face Guard. Face Guard was designed to offer an alternative to messy shaving creams and gels and is a compact high performance shaving oil and skin moisturiser. With the introduction of Face Guard, a parent brand ‘Guard Shaving’ was established to incorporate all three products. As of January 2019 there are 5 products under the banner with the addition of the Trimmer Guard and Clipper Guard cleaning lubricant sprays. All of the Guard Shaving products operate under an exclusive licensing agreement to the the Shaver Shop stores who represent over 120 stores nationally and are continually expanding.
Product development quickly became Crisp Solutions niche in the marketplace and consulting services for various organisations and global product sourcing became a major part of the business. Cricket Australiaand the National Rugby League (NRL) utilised Crisp Solution’s services to source and manufacture limited edition licensed sports memorabilia. These limited edition products were advertised on TV, radio and in the Herald Sun newspaper during major events such as the Ashes series. Other product sourcing projects and manufacturing overseas further increased Crisp Solution’s experience as an international product development agent.
In the many visits to Asia, an opportunity emerged in 2006 to become the Australian wholesale agent of a leading brand of luxury massage chairs. As the Australian market was unaware of this major Chinese brand, re-branding to One Life Luxury Massage Chairs was adopted in order to create an iconic and exclusive brand for furniture stores. Retail partners such as Forty Winks, Adriatic Furniture and many other boutique stores were selected and have allowed One Life to become the largest importer of massage chairs in Australia.
With the many products being sourced from overseas, the range of Guard Shaving products and the One Life Luxury Massage Chairs agreement, Crisp Solutions now required a larger storage and distribution facility. The business moved into distribution centre in Knoxfield, Victoria in 2007 which also became the company headquarters for business consulting services. The distribution centre started to offer other services to businesses that required storage and order processing / logistical services. One such example is Julie France, a premium shape-wear company.
In 2007, many budget conscious Australian’s turned to internet shopping with the threat of the global financial crisis hanging over the world economy. Crisp Solutions identified this opportunity and established a series of e-commerce stores. The e-commerce stores featured everyday household items for sale such as children’s toys, cleaning products and health and lifestyle products. Items were sourced from a variety of local and international suppliers offering customers competitive prices, a wider product range and the convenience of home delivery. The different e-commerce businesses fit perfectly into the Crisp Solutions business model and increased logistics efficiencies across the organisation.
Crisp Solutions today continues to be at the forefront of product development and new commerce opportunities. Our specialised servicescan offer your business a range of opportunities in product development, brand management, marketing, packaging, warehousing, distribution and more. Please see our range of projects and please contact us to discuss how we can take your ideas from concept to completion.
