To confirm this from a manufacturing cost perspective the mainstream lines quoted in the article,. i.e. BIC Cristal Medi
FAO: Rt Hon Maria Miller MP Chair, Women and Equalities Committee House of Commons London SWlAOAA
101h February 2016
Dear Mrs Miller, Thank you for your letter regarding the recent investigation into price disparity and gendered products conducted by The Times newspaper. All of our products are individually costed, depending on factors including production volume, packaging, as well as the features of the product itself. To confirm this from a manufacturing cost perspective the mainstream lines quoted in the article, i.e. BIC Cristal Medium Ball Pens pouch 5, and BIC 2 10 pack, are both produced in significantly higher quantity and with greater production simplicity. Both packs contain only single colour product for example. As a consequence of these and other efficiency factors, the amount it costs for us to produce similar products can vary significantly. In contrast both BIC Twin Lady shavers pouch 8, and BIC for Her pens are packed with assorted colour product by hand, and in much less volume. In the case of BIC for Her pens the product has feature differences that required additional production investment in new tooling, which also has an impact on cost pricing. We trust this goes some way in helping to provide further clarity and explanation with regard to the
cost pricing differential of our products, however as it is the prerogative of the retailer to determine
the retail price in store, we are unable to comment further on this element.
We remain at your disposal.
I
Jonathan Skyrme.
General Manager BIC UK Ltd
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