Men Asked to Pay More at First "Pay Gap Store"

... where the "price gap" balances the pay gap in the wider world

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Dec 15, 2021, 08:47 ET

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Some shoppers are being asked to pay more at the world's first "Pay Gap Store," a ground-breaking new online store from Trusaic, where the prices reflect – and offset – the pay gap in the wider world.

The new store's male shoppers are among those it suggests pay higher prices, since U.S. men still, on average, earn 18% more than U.S. women – a difference known as the gender pay gap.

The store suggests that other customers, meanwhile, pay less, reflecting the extent to which those of their gender and race/ethnicity on average earn less.

The new store is the creation of Trusaic, a leading supplier of equal pay compliance software – and a way of highlighting the persistence of large gender and race/ethnicity pay gaps.

"This is a breakthrough idea in online retailing," says Matt Gotchy, Trusaic's spokesperson. "It's the world's only store with a 'price gap' that balances the pay gap in the outside world."

The store sells a range of T-shirts, mugs and tote bags, each bearing the message, "Where's my X%?" – where the value of "X" for each customer depends on their stated gender and race/ethnicity.

The store's visitors are first asked their gender and race/ethnicity. The price suggested to them for each item then reflects the average U.S. pay gap faced by those of their profile.

Asian men are the only customers invited to pay the full Pay Gap Store price since they, on average, earn the most.

Every other group – including white men, the second highest-earners – are then suggested a lower price, based on their own "Pay Gap Store discount."

Hispanic women are suggested the lowest price of all, since they, on average, face the largest pay gap, earning just 49 cents on the dollar earned by Asian men. The message on their goods therefore asks, "Where's my 51%?" So, their mug, for example, sells for $12.24 – compared to the $24.99 suggested for Asian men's and $20.99 for white men (reflecting the 16% pay gap between the latter two groups).

The store does not require customers of different profiles to pay different prices. It merely suggests what a fair price would be for a customer of each profile. Whether they actually pay it – or opt instead to pay the lowest price available – is up to them and their conscience.

Profits from the store will be donated to charity.

About Trusaic
Trusaic is a regulatory compliance software company that focuses on advancing social good in the workplace and solving HR's most complex challenges across people, data, and compliance. Our mission is to create a better working world – by helping organizations achieve pay equity, foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce, assist economically disadvantaged individuals with finding work, and ensure employee access to affordable healthcare.

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Contact:
Matt Gotchy
[email protected]
(213) 814-5760

SOURCE Trusaic