The supermarket of the North, Morrisons, stands accused of sexist pricing.
New research today published by the Fawcett Society reveals that sexist pricing is widespread on our high streets with the UK’s biggest supermarkets
Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons’ charging women more for own brand toiletries and items of clothing. Sexist pricing hit the news earlier this year when campaigner Stevie Wise successfully persuaded Boots to change the prices of some of its products.
An analysis of a basket of the supermarkets’ own brand toiletries revealed that products that were gendered (for example with white and pink packaging for women or black and blue for men) are consistently more expensive. Women are paying on average 31% more for an own brand basket of comparable toiletries. These products are also often separated in stores making it harder for consumers to compare prices.
In a basket of own-brand products including triple blade disposable razors, shaving cream, spray-on antiperspirant deodorant and body spray, the gap ranged from products costing 22% more in ASDA to a whopping 56% more in Morrisons.
A basket of own brand gendered toiletries costs 56% more for women at Morrisons, 25% more for women at Sainsbury’s, 24% more for women at Tesco and 22% more for women at Asda
The research also revealed that overall women are paying 12%, an average of £4.33, more for a basket of own brand clothing items across the retailers. The gender price gap on a basket of clothes was lowest at Asda where women pay 4% (£1) more than men for the basket of comparable items, and the gap was highest at Sainsbury’s where women pay 22% (£9.50) more. For one item – formal black trousers – researchers found that men were paying more. However, when averaged out across the basket of goods it was still women who were left out of pocket.
The Fawcett Society is calling for each of the four leading supermarkets to carry out a review of their pricing practices to investigate why products targeted at women consistently cost more and to publish the findings and an end to sexist pricing in our supermarkets.
The Fawcett Society is calling for Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons to agree that this practice has no place in their stores and to work with us to end sexist pricing.
The development of gender neutral options – many retailers already offer gender neutral choices but the ranges could be developed and extended.
Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, Sam Smethers, said:
“The top four supermarkets between them have a 70% market share. The majority of their customers will be women. Here we see them consistently charging significantly more for their own brand products which are marketed at women. In most cases these are not minor price differences. These are big margins.
“We know that women are paid less than men, are targeted with beauty products and advertising and now we see them being charged more. It will make many women ask themselves whether they can trust these high street brands.”
“The big four have an opportunity here. Will they go the extra mile to demonstrate to their female customers that their pricing is fair? We don’t just want to see one or two prices reduced, we want sexist pricing practices to end.”
