From birth to death women purportedly pay 7% more for female branded products for everything from onesies to adult diapers.

In 2015 the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs analyzed nearly 800 products from 91 brands and found that men’s products are more expensive 18% of the time, while women pay more 42% of the time. Women’s hair care products were the most egregious offenders, costing an average 48% more than the male-branded option. Public surveys have also revealed that women are charged more for various services such as haircuts, dry cleaning, and tailoring. Modern estimates place the cost of being a female consumer at $2,700 per year.

Although the causes of male and female price discrepancies are complex and multi-faceted, it is well known that gender-specific marketing is largely to blame. Fortunately, there is hope for determined women! Thrifty consumers can buy unisex or men’s products where possible and pressure lawmakers to propose gender-pricing laws. (Read about California's 1996 gender discrimination law here.)

In the spirit of the prevailing zeitgeist, Skyline would like to encourage clients to be cognizant of their spending habits on gender-specific products and avoid gender-specific marketing ploys.