Women charged more than men for the exact same beauty products

El Tarangu

Just like it says in the title.

If you're a man in Dunnes Stores and you buy a pack of gillette razor blades: €5.83 (which is a rip-off in and of itself, but that's a different story)

A member of the fairer sex, who is in Dunnes and wants to purchase the same item, but marketed as part of the women's line: €7.95.

Source

An extra €2.12 for a bit of pink cardboard in the packaging. Mná na hÉireann, Dunnes Stores are taking you for a proverbial ride.

Imposter

I think it's not just Dunnes when it comes to this one product. I'm sure if I wanted I could quite easily find products show the opposite is true as well!

ejmaztec

Men's razors = not beauty products. That doesn't do macho images much good.:P

The simple answer to the price problem is for women to buy the "male" razors, so that when the stores are left with piles of pink boxes that they can't sell, they'll then get the message.

rubadub

Imposter wrote: »

I could quite easily find products show the opposite is true as well!

+1

El Tarangu wrote: »

An extra €2.12 for a bit of pink cardboard in the packaging. Mná na hÉireann, Dunnes Stores are taking you for a proverbial ride.

EVen if they were the same economies of scale could lead to the pink packaging costing a more, just like family size tins of beans or peas are almost always more expensive per 100g than regular size tins of the same brand.

However in this case it is NOT just packaging, the lack of pictures made me think they were hiding something and my assumption was correct, the womens one have large injection moulded handles on them, with a rubber grip pad.

Mná na hÉireann, Dunnes Stores are taking you for a proverbial ride.

Not really, even if they were the exact same only stupid people would pay for the exact same ones just because a packet is different. And I say people since if womens gillettes were the exact same and cheaper men would be stupid not to buy them too. I have actually bought unperfumed anti-perspirants aimed at women before as they were cheaper, it is hard to get an unscented mens ones at all.

El Tarangu

Imposter wrote: »

I think it's not just Dunnes when it comes to this one product. I'm sure if I wanted I could quite easily find products show the opposite is true as well!

The point isn't that women's products cost more per se; what I was getting at is that companies charge men and women different prices for what is essentially the same product.

If I was a woman, I'd use the men's razor blades. And if I was a man buying moisturiser, for example, the fact that there was a lady on the box would not put me off buying it if it was cheaper than the man's one.

The source article was focused on the women's lines being more expensive is all

rubadub

Word of warning, even though womens panties are cheaper than mens boxers, do not, I repeat DO NOT be tempted to buy them. After trying many brands and styles over several months I had to go back to wearing boxers, the knickers just cut the balls of ye.

Cherrycola

rubadub wrote: »

+1

EVen if they were the same economies of scale could lead to the pink packaging costing a more, just like family size tins of beans or peas are almost always more expensive per 100g than regular size tins of the same brand.

However in this case it is NOT just packaging, the lack of pictures made me think they were hiding something and my assumption was correct, the womens one have large injection moulded handles on them, with a rubber grip pad.


Not really, even if they were the exact same only stupid people would pay for the exact same ones just because a packet is different. And I say people since if womens gillettes were the exact same and cheaper men would be stupid not to buy them too. I have actually bought unperfumed anti-perspirants aimed at women before as they were cheaper, it is hard to get an unscented mens ones at all.

Just wanted to point out that the article the OP linked to actually states

[To illustrate this phenomenon, the CAI highlighted the example of Dunnes Stores selling Gillette Sensor Excel Men razor blades at €5.83 for five (€1.17 each), whereas Gillette Sensor Excel Women razor blades were priced at €7.95 for five (€1.59 each); women are being charged €2.12 more for what is, in essence, the exact same product.


So its not the whole razor we're talking about here, as shown in your pictures, its the blades only, and while there is a difference between mens and womens blades, such as perhaps a strip infused with aloe vera or the like, its not significant enough to warrant such a dramatic price difference if you ask me.

rubadub

Cherrycola wrote: »

So its not the whole razor we're talking about here, as shown in your pictures, its the blades only, and while there is a difference between mens and womens blades, such as perhaps a strip infused with aloe vera or the like, its not significant enough to warrant such a dramatic price difference if you ask me.

Ah right, missed that. I expect the womens blades might be wider too, for doing a larger flatter area. Also I expect economies of scale will come into it. I wonder if any retailers here can tell if one sells more than the other.

If they are just as wide then someone should design a device to clip onto regular mens handles to mimic the ladies version!

Cherrycola

I know that some of the mens blades will fit the ladies Venus razor, i think its the Fusion range, i know cos ive robbed my husbands when ive run out! :P

Some people say the mens ones are better than the womens, but i actually didnt find that, i found they made my skin drier, but that could be the aloe vera balm im missing. I didnt see any huge difference with performance though, both gave equally good results.

Cherrycola

Just checked Tesco online, and the Venus blades are working out cheaper than the mens Mach 3(which are the ones that fit the Venus, and vice versa)

4 Venus blades are 7.99, and 5 Mach 3's are 11.49.

And if anyone is interested, the Venus Razors are half price in tesco until 6/7/10

Venus Embrace was 9.29 now 4.64
Venus For Women was 7.79 now 3.89
Venus Divine Paradise was 9.29 now 4.64

jor el

The blades themselves are not the same. Men's razors are designed for shaving the face, women's are not. Whether that should mean a price difference, I don't know, but they are not the same product.

Imposter

El Tarangu wrote: »

The point isn't that women's products cost more per se; what I was getting at is that companies charge men and women different prices for what is essentially the same product.

If I was a woman, I'd use the men's razor blades. And if I was a man buying moisturiser, for example, the fact that there was a lady on the box would not put me off buying it if it was cheaper than the man's one.

The source article was focused on the women's lines being more expensive is all

As you say though the source article is the problem. Yet again it is just lazy journalism as they could make the exact same comparison where the price difference goes in favour of women but they don't. Surely the issue of men paying more than women for similar products is just as valid an issue and one which can and should be raised when making such a complaint and writing such an article!

g32

El Tarangu wrote: »

Just like it says in the title.

If you're a man in Dunnes Stores and you buy a pack of gillette razor blades: €5.83 (which is a rip-off in and of itself, but that's a different story)

A member of the fairer sex, who is in Dunnes and wants to purchase the same item, but marketed as part of the women's line: €7.95.

Source

An extra €2.12 for a bit of pink cardboard in the packaging. Mná na hÉireann, Dunnes Stores are taking you for a proverbial ride.

I completely sympathize with Ladies on this. I doubt Dunnes will lower their prices unless people actually vote with their feet.

Personally, I buy my razor blades on eBay or Amazon or from Asda Enniskillen.

Fighting Irish

People talk like this is wrong, customers decide the prices in the long run