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The Pink Tax: An investigation of gender-based price discrimination in the Swedish market for personal hygiene products
Jönköping University.
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

This thesis aims to investigate the phenomenon popularly referred to as the pink tax, otherwise known as gender-based price discrimination in the Swedish hygiene product market. The subject is thoroughly researched in markets like the United States and the United Kingdom, where evidence has been found that a pink tax does exist. Thus, women tend to pay more for initially the same product than men, where seemingly, the only difference between the two is packaging and/or fragrance. The sample collection consists of five different product categories: razor blades, razors, shaving cream, deodorant, and soap. The samples have all been collected manually from 16 different locations, distributed at a 38 km radius between the area Skövde to Mariestad in Västra Götaland, Sweden.  Inspired by previous research, this study starts examining the market using a t-test. To further the investigation, two types of regression models are used. The findings support the possibility of a pink tax existing in the Swedish market. Where the largest and most stable regression showed a 4,1% difference in prices for female versus male products. Hence, women tend to pay 4,1% more for hygiene products and the research can conclude that prices are not statistically equal. From this result, we recommend the Swedish customer protection agency- Diskrimineringsombudmannen, to further work on the laws against price discrimination by clarification of guidelines and construction of a stricter legal environment to prevent gender-based price discrimination in the future. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022. , p. 37
Keywords [en]
Pink tax, Gender-based price discrimination, Female purchasing power, Male purchasing power, gender equality
National Category
Economics and Business
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-57124ISRN: JU-IHH-NAA-2-20220280OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-57124DiVA, id: diva2:1668432
Subject / course
JIBS, Economics
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2022-08-10 Created: 2022-06-13 Last updated: 2025-10-13Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
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