What is Pink Tax, and Are You Paying It?

Sick of buying women’s products that are pink and designed with flowery patterns? Wondering why the women’s line costs more than the men’s? If you’ve ever wondered about the so-called pink tax, you aren’t alone. According to some studies, women’s products cost 7% more on average than equivalent products marketed to men. In some cases, the price difference can be as high as 37%. 

What is pink tax

The Definition of pink tax

The term pink tax was coined to describe the way in which women’s products cost more than those of men. As an example, a woman might buy a 2-pack of razors for $10 while a man can purchase a 10-pack for the same price. Women may have to spend more money on necessities like tampons than men do on basic shaving supplies. There are many different explanations as to why this happens; it could be that companies think women are willing to pay more because they are targeted as consumers with less buying power or that there’s an unconscious bias in pricing that doesn’t take into account things like gender differences in incomes or spending habits.

The cost of the pink tax

Pink tax refers to the hidden costs that women pay for products and services because they are targeted to women. The term was coined by author Andrea Learned in 1985. Women can spend up to $1,400 more than men over a lifetime on things like dry cleaning bills, haircuts, shaving products, clothing and personal care items. This happens because of pink packaging that is marketed directly at women or gender-specific pricing. For example, Victoria’s Secret’s PINK line with bras sells for about twice as much as their other bras and GapKids has been found to charge 4% more for girls’ clothes than boys’. 

As long as these companies continue to use their marketing strategies that specifically target women, then there will be this gap in prices. So you have to decide: are you going to buy into the pink tax system or not? The answer is it depends on whether you want to support a company who uses sexism as a form of capitalism. But if you’re looking for an alternative way to shop without perpetuating sexism and inequality then take these steps: avoid the color pink or any stereotypes that link girlhood with being less worthy than boyhood; turn off your TV which portrays only female characters; boycott stores who market primarily to one gender but don’t change how they run their business models; purchase from independent retailers, small businesses or mom & pop shops who cater equally to everyone.

How the pink tax affects women

The pink tax has many different names in the media such as pink penalty or gendered pricing. The idea behind the pink tax is that feminine products are more expensive than similar products for men. This isn’t because of any individual companies. But rather, this is due to societal norms which dictate that women need items like shampoo and deodorant while men do not. In fact, even when men’s items are more expensive than women’s they’re typically cheaper by only a few cents. 

The pink tax can have an adverse effect on women who don’t make as much money per hour as their male counterparts. If you find yourself constantly overspending on personal hygiene products, you might want to explore ways of saving some cash without compromising your health. One way to do so would be to purchase your favorite shampoo at the dollar store instead of at the salon down the street. If you prefer going natural with your beauty routine, consider buying bar soap from places like Lush Cosmetics or making your own face masks from ingredients found in your kitchen pantry.

Why Does the Pink Tax Exist?

The pink tax exists for a number of reasons. Women are more likely to purchase clothes for their children at the same time as they are purchasing clothes for themselves. They are also more likely to wear clothing that has sentimental value as well as clothing that reflects their current style. For these reasons, women will visit stores more often than men which means they will buy more items than men on average. As a result of this behavior, it costs retailers much more money per customer when a woman walks into their store than if a man walks in which means they need to charge women higher prices in order to make up the difference. The increased price points have been known to have a detrimental effect on certain groups of people who are not able to spend as much money on clothing such as lower-income families and single mothers.

Finding the Pink Tax

The term Pink tax has been used to describe the price difference in goods or services between genders. The pink tax typically comes into play when it comes to products like deodorant, razors, lipsticks, and other personal care products. Women are paying more for these items because they are marketed to them as opposed to marketed towards men. In most cases the pink tax doesn’t come from the manufacturer but from retailers who mark up the prices for women’s products even though they cost less to produce than those marketed towards men. One study found that while both male and female razors were made of virtually identical components, the female razor was priced $2 higher. When looking at companies like Philips Norelco and Gillette Venus who produce similar female grooming supplies like hair dryers and shavers respectively, Gillette Venus’ shaver was priced $7 higher then Phillips Norelco’s dryer. There are also many brands that only sell their products to women or offer them at a lower cost with very few options for men: Dove, Pantene Pro-V, Stila Cosmetics etc., which all have higher rates of markup then their counterparts that are marketed to both genders: Axe Products Inc., L’oreal Paris USA Inc., Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

How to avoid the pink tax

Pink tax refers to the higher cost of products marketed to women. This phenomenon can happen for two reasons: one being that companies charge women more because they are the ones purchasing the product. The second reason for pink tax is that companies may charge women more because they feel as though women will buy anything with a feminine color or design regardless of price. 

The first way to avoid paying pink tax is by researching your options before making any purchases; this way you will know if there are cheaper alternatives out there without having to waste money on something that wasn’t necessary in the first place. Another way to avoid paying pink tax is by buying generic items instead of name-brand products. Generic items tend to be less expensive than their counterparts and have the same qualities. For example, I always find myself buying unscented deodorant rather than spending extra money on deodorant specifically marketed to women. The last way to avoid paying pink tax is by being educated about what you are actually purchasing; do some research into how much it would cost for men’s versus women’s versions of the same item.