Four ways you can avoid being stung by the ‘pink tax’
Did you know that, as a woman, you’re paying more than men for the same products? Find out how to avoid the pink tax.
With the rising cost of living, Brits’ budgets are increasingly looking for ways to make small daily savings to ease financial pressures. However, new research has highlighted that women could be paying more for products than men.
While the government finally abolished VAT on period products in January 2021, a ‘pink tax’ still remains a significant and unfair expense affecting millions of UK women.
To assess the scale of the problem, NetVoucherCodes conducted an analysis of 120 price comparisons across 20 essential personal care and clothing products to determine whether similar or identical products are costing women more than men on average.
Women are spending £126 a year more than men
The study examined price differences in gender-marketed everyday products, such as perfume, razors, deodorant, jeans, and more. It discovered that women are spending £4.34 billion more per year than men on essential items – equivalent to a £126 yearly pink tax per woman.
Pink coloured products marketed towards women are, on average, 14% more expensive than the male version of those same products. Overall, women are paying the most in comparison to men on items including perfume (£38 more), moisturiser (£35 more), and razor blades (£17 more) on average per year.
One method product marketers use that is exacerbating the UK’s rising pink tax is gendered shrinkflation – where female-marketed items initially appear to have the same or similar price, volume, weight, or quantity as male-marketed products but, upon closer inspection, offer significantly less for the price.
For example, Dior’s perfume from Boots costs £72 for 30ml, whereas Dior’s aftershave equivalent costs £85 for 60ml – which is nearly twice the price for the same volume. Elsewhere, Gillette’s female branded razorblades cost £5.72 for 3 (£1.92 per razor) at Waitrose, whilst male-marketed equivalents retail at £7.80 for 8 razors (£0.98 per razor).
Price comparison table of pink tax products
Here’s a price comparison table of pink tax products:
Four ways you can avoid paying the pink tax
While brands certainly should be doing a lot more, you can be a savvy shopper and avoid paying pink tax where possible with these four tips.
1) Avoid pink products
Pink-branded products are often unclearly priced higher on purpose, so if you’re reaching for a pink-coloured item on your next shopping trip, be sure to check the unit price and compare it to similar products on the shelf
2) Don’t fall for multi-pack deals
Don’t be fooled into assuming a multi-pack deal is always value for money. Double-check how many items are included within a multi-pack offer to ensure that you are paying a fair price per individual item, especially for products such as razors or socks.
3) Double check your online basket
When it comes to online shopping, it can be harder to determine the product size or weight of an item you’re considering purchasing, given you are selecting items without physically handling them. Taking the extra time to read the product specifications such as weight or milligrams per product for each item can be a worthwhile cost-saving exercise.
4) Use online price comparison tools
Use shopping price comparison websites, such as Trolley.co.uk, to understand the difference in costs for products at alternative shops to make sure you’re not overpaying where possible.
