A turbo-charged mach 3 razor? (As We Go To Press).

* Last month Gillette unveiled its new Turbo Mach 3 men's shaving system at a press conference in New York. The Boston-based company maintains that the new razor, which will reach store shelves in April, provides a noticeably better shave than the current Mach 3 system.

At the same time, Gillette will roll out a reformulated line of men's toiletries under the Series brand. Both the Turbo razor and the reformulated Series products will be priced 15% higher than the current Mach 3 and Series products. According to Peter Hoffman, president of Gillette Grooming Products, the introductions mark the first time Gillette has launched a new razor and a collection of shaving products together and he defended the higher price points by insisting that the introductions are noticeable improvements.

To develop the razor, Gillette filed 35 patents. All that technology doesn't come cheap, however; the razor set will retail for $8.99 and four-pack of cartridges is $8.99 too.

The reformulated line of Gillette Series grooming products includes shave gels and foams; aftershave gels, lotions and splashes; and antiperspirants and deodorants. The products retail for $2.49 to $2.99, with the aftershave splash priced at $5.49.

Gillette hopes the relaunch of Series will provide a boost to its sagging toiletries business. Although Series has been a proven winner since its debut in 1993 with annual sales of about $400 million, Gillette's toiletries sales have been on a steady decline for years. In 2000, sales of toiletries fell 8% to $978 million, primarily due to the divestiture of the White Rain line of hair care products.

"Gillette Series will restore momentum to our toiletries business," assured Mr. Hoffman.

The shaving treatments contain skin-hydrating, moisturizing and skin-cooling ingredients. The new Gillette Series antiperspirants and deodorants now include Power Stripe, a breakthrough odor control system concentrated in a distinctive blue strip.

Although Gillette has had problems with excess inventory at the retail level, Mr. Hoffman said that the problem is expected to be alleviated by the close of the fourth quarter--months before the new products reach stores.