[Withano]

[Northern Monkey]

When i was young i worked in retail for a few years and this stuff happens all the time.Products that are almost identical but maybe a different colour or slight pattern or logo variation will be priced differently just because they're not shifting.Products are not looked at for what they actually are but just as a part number or PLU code or SKU code.There definitely should be more in depth stock analysis to prevent mistakes like this accross all Products to prevent similar items having wildly different pricetags.

[MB.]

And even if they did cost more to make, they surely can't cost twice the price... unless they're lined with gold or something...

[Amy Jade]

The first video is moronic. The white one was probably cheaper because they had more in stock. Lots of shops will do similar, place excessive over stocks on sale.

People are desperate for controversy over the smallest insignificant things

[jaxie]

It seems rather sad that the price of a doll becomes a race issue. Is it oversensitivity? I'm sure there probably are cases of racism in commerce but I don't think this is one of them. Clearly the doll prices weren't deliberately changed in either case because one was black and one was white.

[Tom4784]

In our shop, Barbies and Kens are the same price but all the other Barbie characters are cheaper. It's a bit odd if it's just the black characters that are cheaper but in our case I'd simply say it's supply and demand, not many kids want the side characters over the protagonists.

If black Barbies are cheaper than the other side barbies though then that's a bit dodgy and it does send out a bad message.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

In our shop, Barbies and Kens are the same price but all the other Barbie characters are cheaper. It's a bit odd if it's just the black characters that are cheaper but in our case I'd simply say it's supply and demand, not many kids want the side characters over the protagonists.

If black Barbies are cheaper than the other side barbies though then that's a bit dodgy and it does send out a bad message.

Maybe it's supply and demand too?

Sales may reflect the demographic of the population hence why they reduced it?

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Maybe it's supply and demand too?

Sales may reflect the demographic of the population hence why they reduced it?

All the side characters should be priced the same though, it doesn't make much sense from a marketing perspective to sell the same products at different prices based on race. It's a PR nightmare and most kids won't care about the race of the characters in the first place.

In my experience of children in my shop, they'll just pick up the first non-Barbie Barbie doll on the shelf and be happy with it. They don't often pick through the line of dolls to find the one they want.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

All the side characters should be priced the same though, it doesn't make much sense from a marketing perspective to sell the same products at different prices based on race. It's a PR nightmare and most kids won't care about the race of the characters in the first place.

In my experience of children in my shop, they'll just pick up the first non-Barbie Barbie doll on the shelf and be happy with it. They don't often pick through the line of dolls to find the one they want.

Yeah i think it was a mistake to price them differently cos as you say it is a PR nightmare.I think they may have just done it because one was selling worse than the other though.Basically just looking at the PLU on a computer and sales figures but not looking at the actual product itself.Maybe?

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Yeah i think it was a mistake to price them differently cos as you say it is a PR nightmare.I think they may have just done it because one was selling worse than the other though.Basically just looking at the PLU on a computer and sales figures but not looking at the actual product itself.Maybe?

Possibly but it's foolish all the same.

[Alf]

I have the same issue with Greggs. The sausage, cheese and bean pasties cost more than the potato and corned beef ones. They should be forced to change their prices, so all pasties cost the same.

[jennyjuniper]

I'm waiting to see what happens if they make an oriental barbie!!