Gender and beauty price discrimination in produce markets

• Published in: Journal of behavioral and experimental economics 2022-04, Vol.97, p.101825, Article 101825
• Main Authors: Ruffle, Bradley J., Sherman, Arie, Shtudiner, Zeev
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Audit study; Beauty; Discount rates; Discounts; Discrimination; Gender price discrimination; Markets; Negotiation; Price discounts; Prices; Search costs; Sex discrimination
• ISSN: 2214-8043; 2214-8051
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2022.101825

•We implement a field experiment to test for price discrimination at produce markets.•Vendors employ third-degree price discrimination based on gender and attractiveness.•Women were offered larger and more frequent discounts than men.•The more attractive the female buyer, the larger and more frequent the discount offered.•Possible explanations for the absence of competitiveness are discussed. We design a field experiment to test for price discrimination at seemingly highly competitive Israeli produce markets. We trained 90 buyers and sent them to produce markets across Israel. After verifying a product's posted price, they asked for a discount on a one-kilogram or one-unit purchase. Predominantly male vendors employ third-degree price discrimination: women are offered larger and more frequent discounts than men, and the more attractive the female buyer, the larger and more frequent the discount offered. Male buyers do not benefit from this beauty discount. No other buyer characteristic is a significant predictor of the likelihood or size of a discount. To understand our findings, we provide a more nuanced view of these markets that includes search costs and considerable vendor price-setting discretion.