Certain ‘for her’ merchandise and services are priced higher, and in some cases, for less product
Women and men typically buy the basics at a drugstore — shampoo, deodorant and razors — but an “invisible tax” on women’s goods could leave them forking over a few more dollars at the register.
CVS Pharmacy, 32 S. Court St., one of the only pharmacies within walking distance of campus, offers items for both men and women. However, deodorant and razors for women are a few cents more expensive than those for men.
That’s not even taking into account the additional items women also purchase at the drugstore, including pads, tampons and items from the “beauty” section such as makeup.
There are several possible reasons behind what Vox.com calls this “invisible tax” that women pay.
“Manufacturers of these products seem to explain that it costs more to make some comparable goods targeted to women. Sometimes, they claim that the needs of women's bodies are different than the needs of men's … Pricing also reflects the costs of marketing, packaging, promotions, etc.,” said Katherine Hartman, associate professor of marketing, in an email.
The fact that women can be squeezed for money also has deep roots in history.
“Women’s value has for millennia been based in large part on their attractiveness because the goal was to marry as well as possible,” said Patty Stokes, a professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. “So, in that background with women needing to invest more in beauty in order to have social worth and economic security sets up a dynamic where we have long been the largest market to tap.”
“The tax” also affects services such as haircuts and dry-cleaning.
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Raphael’s Hair Aveda Concept Salon and Spa, located at 18 S. Court St., charges $32 to $40-plus for a women’s shampoo, cut, and style; $18 to 20-plus for a men’s style and cut, and $15-plus for a men’s clipper cut, according to its website.
Stokes explains that haircuts are not necessarily the inherent value of the service and that discrepancies are created for women with short cuts and men with long hair.
“To do a simple blunt cut with long hair does not take longer than layering hair for a man,” Stokes said.
Dry cleaning is similar in that typical women’s clothing requires more time and work to clean.
The manager of Good Dry Cleaners & Laundromat, 12 W. Stimson Ave., explains that its prices depend on the length and thickness of the item, as well as how much time is required to clean it — cashmere and silk being the most expensive.
Beauty standards become a matter of personal identity. Regularly wearing makeup can become an ingrained ritual, resulting in a feeling of nakedness when not wearing it.
“Once this happens, then (women) are willing to pay (money),” Stokes said.
Some students might not even notice a price discrepancy between products.
“I didn’t know about that (price differences in CVS). I think it’s because women worry about (beauty) more,” said Hannah Jaggers, a freshman studying early childhood education.
Some companies, like the Dollar Razor Club have only one type of razor and encourage to “stop paying the pink razor tax.”
"If women stopped buying razors targeted to women and started buying razors targeted to men, the competitive landscape of razors — products, prices, distribution — would change accordingly. You can also support legislative that would outlaw so-called gender discrimination pricing,” Hartman said in an email.
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