About Philips

In 1891, Anton and Gerard Philips established Philips & Co. in Eindhoven, the Netherlands by manufacturing carbon-filament lamps. The first Philips electric shaver appeared in 1939, although Norelco shavers did not debut in the U.S. until 1948. In 1950, a spin-off product (literally) from Philips' light bulb manufacturing and research created a rotationally-powered bicycle lamp, which inspired the Philishave and the Norelco triple-head razor. Essentially, until 2006, Norelco shavers and Norelco razors worked in tandem with Philishave as two sides of the same product, with Norelco handling product development and sales in the United States, and Philishave managing personal care products outside the U.S. Norelco is, in fact, an acronym for the North American Philips (electrical) Company, and the name was used on all products sold in the United States until 1974, when Philips purchased Magnavox to handle its electronic division and refocused the Norelco name specifically for personal care products.

Since 2005, in an effort to introduce American customers to the Philips line, most products carry both names as Philips Norelco hair clippers and Norelco trimmers, Philips Norelco shavers and razors, and Philips Norelco replacement blades. In partnering with Nivea, a variety of shaving accessories were added to the product line as well as other smen kin care products, like Norelco body lotions, and shaving conditioners. Though the name may change, the quality and innovation continue for Philips Norelco.