Today, we demand an end to the “pink tax”.
Four years ago, The Sun first highlighted how brands change the colour or packaging of products to create “feminine” versions that cost much more.
Here, we reveal how everyday items such as clothes, razors and deodorants aimed at women now cost up to 67 PER CENT extra.
Separate research this week compared hundreds of health and beauty items sold by major retailers and worked out the average price for those types of products. For example, face moisturiser costs an average of £10.77 for women but £8.02 for men — a 34.29 per cent difference.
Bradley Post, of tax specialist Rift, which carried out that study, said: “Women face subtle inequalities in society through the what they pay for health products.”
There is also a five per cent VAT charge on tampons and other feminine hygiene products wrongly classed as “luxury” items.
Asda, which said gender never influences its pricing, is one of just a handful of stores that does NOT pay this “tampon tax” for its customers.
Tory MP Maria Miller told The Sun: “The best way to change this is to expose manufacturers and retailers involved.”
Boots thanked us for alerting it but other stores defended the price differences. Debenhams said its pricier ladies’ scarf was wider than the men’s version.
The Perfume Shop said ingredients varied between men’s and women’s scents — a point also made by Sainsbury’s.
John Lewis said it price-matched male versions with rival stores and M&S said: “Where products are comparable, we’ll always charge the same price.”
Don't fall for tricks
- BE wary of pink products and look to see if there are alternative colours for cheaper prices.
- DON’T be caught out by product names – Wilkinson Sword Beauty Disposable Razors are the same as men’s Sensitive razors.
- ALWAYS check the price per unit or volume. Retailers often use different pack sizes to make it harder to compare the value.
- DON’T be fooled by minor design alterations used as an excuse to charge more. A male dressing gown might be identical to a female one except for the addition of a ribbon – which isn’t worth the extra cash.
- BE aware that the cheaper male equivalent product may be in a completely different part of the store to the feminine version instead of placed next to it.
- LOOK online. Check store websites to see what a product is made of and if there is any difference between the male and female versions.Do same job for free
TODAY is a landmark day – when women start working for FREE for the rest of the year.
Those in the same full-time roles as men spend part of the year effectively doing the job for nothing due to the gender pay gap, while their male colleagues continue earning until the start of the new year. And that gap in earnings can be huge.
The median average salary for men working full-time in the UK is £31,834 per year, while for women it is £26,103.
And the gap is much wider for certain professions.
For example, the Office for National Statistics says the average annual pay for full-time male chief executives and senior officials is £102,595.
For women doing the same job, the figure is £77,488.
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