The Pink Tax

Real Cost

What are you Paying For?

A December 2015 study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
found that women's products cost an average of
7%
more than men’s products across the industries included in the diagram below.

It adds up.

Individually, a few dollars extra for a razor or a haircut here and there might not seem like a whole lot.

However, the cumulative cost of "the pink tax", of empty marketing with no functional value to the consumer, is significant. The calculator below multiplies the entered age in years by a estimated figure from a 1994 study by the California Legislative Assembly, which stated that a woman is charged approximately $1351 more per year for goods and services than a man. A lot has changed since 1994, so this number, while hopefully less, could actually be a lot more with inflation.

Defining the Value of Pink

An educated consumer knows how to think about what an item is worth. Obviously, there is the sticker price, but she also knows that there are multiple ways to define the "value" of an item when considering a purchase.

Relative value

Determining how much the product is worth by comparing it with its competitors.(How much are other people willing to pay for this? How much do I care about their opinion?)

Absolute Value

Determining the worth of a product based on its intrinsic features (cost of production, materials, quality of function, quality of construction, etc.)

Perceived Value

Assigning value to a product based on personal preferences, societal/cultural influences, etc. (did your Nana make it?)

Selling a product with a "pink tax" requires a heavy reliance on percieved value. When considering purchases, don't forget to ask yourself what pink is worth to you.