Attention, shoppers: Looking to buy a T-shirt, shampoo, or lotion? If you want to save money, you may be better off picking products from the men’s section. A new study found that items marketed to women and girls can cost as much as 50 percent more than similar goods aimed at men and boys.         

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs recently compared nearly 800 products with male and female versions, such as clothes, toys, and personal-care items. It found that 42 percent of the time, products geared toward female customers cost more. (Although it’s less common, guys may be charged higher prices for certain goods too—for example, sneakers.)

Many businesses defend setting different prices for products and services based on whether they target men or women. They say items designed for female customers may be more expensive because they cost more to make. Plus, they note, women are often willing to spend more than men on certain services, so businesses should be able to charge them more.

Opponents of the practice, however, say it’s unfair and should be illegal. They maintain that female consumers shouldn’t be charged higher prices simply because of their gender. ­Critics also point to ­studies that show that over the course of their lives, women end up paying thousands of dollars more than men for similar products.

Is it fair to charge men and women different prices? Two experts weigh in.

This is how the free market works: Businesses are free to charge whatever price they think the market will bear for their goods or services. Female shoppers are often willing to pay higher prices than men for certain products, including clothes and personal-care items, so companies charge them more. Customers, in turn, are free to decide whether to accept those prices or take their business elsewhere. 

The bottom line is that it’s a bad idea to substitute a consumer’s common sense with needless government oversight.

—Mike Durant

New York State Director

National Federation of Independent Business

Businesses can set their own prices, but that doesn’t mean people should be charged different prices simply based on gender. Women are already discriminated against in this country, earning roughly three quarters of what men earn for doing the same work, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. On top of that, our study suggests that women are paying thousands of dollars more over the course of their lives to purchase the same or similar products as men. 

The City of New York is calling on retailers nationwide to re-evaluate their gender-based discriminatory pricing practices and create an equal marketplace for men and women. We’re also encouraging shoppers to think twice before automatically buying the “female version” of a product. After all, a red scooter is just as good as a pink one.  

—Alba Pico

First Deputy Commissioner,

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs