It's one heck of success story – and one in which Edgewell was understandably eager to play a part as it took the fight to its closest rival, Gillette owner Procter & Gamble. For Edgewell to be able to go DTC in style, for example, would be a powerful advantage during a buoyant period for personal care Stateside. However, it's also reasonable that the FTC was concerned about the loss of Harry's as a competitive force in the $2.8bn US men's shaving industry – which is dominated by Edgewell and P&G. And one has to wonder why the former company was so keen to spend so much cash on Harry's, other than to thwart a challenger. After all, Edgewell already has high-quality razor blades in Wilkinson Sword, and it has premium cachet in Bulldog Skincare, the classy, eco-conscious British brand it bought in late 2016. As for DTC, Edgewell may not have a service to speak of, but it surely has the money and chops to launch one.