For a basic summer holiday shop, women are charged 21% more than men due to the “pink tax”
UK residents made 65.7 million visits abroad in 2015 according to the Office of National Statistics. It seems that Brits are reportedly splurging £529 million on sun tan lotions, toiletries and pharmaceuticals, as well as spending a massive £1,832 million on clothing for summer holidays this year.
However, research carried out by showerstoyou.co.uk, has discovered the enormous disparity between the cost of a basic holiday shop for women, in comparison to men, revealing the true extent of the ‘pink tax’.
The pink tax has been a prevalent issue for feminism in the 21st Century, and something that retailers use appallingly to their advantage. The pink tax sheds light on the price difference for gender specific goods; as it is known that men have a substantial advantage for several products which are gender neutral.
Showerstoyou.co.uk carried out a survey of 754 women and 623 men, determining the essential toiletries men and women would buy for a ten-day holiday to their favourite European beach destination. Following this, a comparative study of products was conducted, exposing the truth behind the partialities of retail pricing.
The graphic designed by showerstoyou.co.uk highlights the discrepancy between the ‘pink tax’ and the ‘blue tax’. Basic holiday clothing items were added to the list to form the “holiday pink tax”.
Findings reveal a whopping £20.50 difference for a basic holiday shop – a 21% gap. It must be noted that this does not consider the number of items an individual will take regardless of the basics. According to the survey, men and women take on average 3 items of swimwear. With this considered, the sum of three pieces of swimwear would equate to a shocking difference of £38.19.
Regarding toiletries, women spend £27.40, whilst men spend £24.76. interestingly, a previous report suggests that women are paying up to 75% more on these products due to the ‘pink tax’. Additionally, specific toiletries highlight the concerning differences between male and female hygiene expectations; female razors are often described as a luxury product.
Whereas just eight female razors cost £2.69, a greater sized packet of ten razors cost £1.24 less for men- a 60% difference. Companies claim they are manufactured differently, however, this specific brand of razors was almost identical, with the size of the razor to the number of blades; the only obvious difference was marketed for women.
Stella Creasy, Labour MP, highlights that it could be perceived that this is due to a lesser demand for the need of products such as female razors: ‘I recognise that (men’s) razors are zero-rated, and judging by many Conservative Members the opportunity to shave every day is a human right.’
This argument also accounts for the zero-tax rate of male razors. Likewise, this explains the concerning disparity in shaving foam prices. Whilst the issue has come to light, positive changes have been made – with Tesco slashing their razor prices to be gender neutral earlier this year.
Martin Smith, the MD of showerstoyou.co.uk comments on the report: ’The claim that men needing to shave as a necessity as opposed to women are ludicrous. The way products are marketed these days has got out of hand, the only difference in the two disposable razors seems to be the colour. What is more, is that there is a zero-tax rate in the UK regarding male razors, yet there is still a tampon tax. Whilst individual retailers have been decreasing the price of their products, brands hold a responsibility for how much they are supplying their products for. Not to mention, action can and should be taken by MP’s and more authoritative figures.’