Googly for the Underarm. Review on Rexona

The concept of body odour (BO) and BO prevention by use of under arm deodorants is a recent phenomenon in India. Being both a leader and a pioneer in the market for personal care products, it has not been a surprise that HLL has rapidly introduced deodorant products too to cater to the BO prevention market. And in keeping with its normal strategy of introducing products across the low to high price range, even in deodorant products, HLL started off with offerings at the lowest possible price and now has a deodorant range spanning the low-end to the high-end of the market. This review is of two supposedly low priced deodorant products of HLL ? the Rexona Fresh Deodorant Stick and the Rexona Intensive Gradual Deo.

Both deodorant sticks are priced lower Rs.25 per stick and hence very inexpensive compared to the roll-on or spray type deodorants that are mostly priced in excess of Rs.75 per roll-on bottle or spray can. The first problem one encounters looking for HLL?s deodorant stick is, that they are just not available easily in the market. After having introduced the deodorant sticks in the market and made them popular, it seemed natural that HLL would ensure their availability. However, the unavailability of Rexona Fresh and Rexona Deodorant Sticks easily is in contrast to this expectation. Is it possible that HLL, after having successfully introduced users to its deodorant sticks, wants them to use the more expensive roll-on or spray range?

If one persists and does manage to find a super market or drug store with a stock of either brand of Rexona deodorant stick, the next thing one finds is that the product is atleast more than six months old, and may be even two years old!!! What is happening here? Is HLL trying to liquidate all its old stock of Rexona deodorant sticks after having lured users to its deodorant range by offering them the low priced sticks and then by subtly forcing them to graduate by creating a shortage of the sticks in the market? What does the case seem to be to you?

The real googly for the underarm is when one starts using the deodorant stick. The Rexona Intensive stick is likely to vanish in just about a week of use (with just one use a day). This is because the user is likely to find that more than 25% (could be upto 40%) of the deodorant is still inside but can?t be used because it cannot be pushed up any further from the bottom of the stick. The deodorant stick is mounted into the plastic mount of the stick and has to be thrown after one uses 60 to 75% of the stick. When the user is paying for the entire stick, is it not fair to expect to be able to use 100% of a deodorant stick?