Quote:
Originally Posted by simplyenchantin
Lol welcome to Australia. In the US a MAC lipstick costs $14USD, here it costs $35AUD and $42AUD if it has special packaging. An eye shadow costs $14.50USD yet $32AUD. Let alone the huge inflation, why are lipsticks more expensive than eyeshadows here, but it's the other way around in the US? Makes no sense!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xLongLashesx
Makes ZERO sense!!
I'm really annoyed now
Here's something funny.. I ordered the LE brush set online from the MAC website and thought I'd chuck an eyeshadow in while I was there, the brush set was sold out so they sent me a huge box, just for one tiny little eyeshadow!!
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Ok, now just before I start, I'd like to say that Im not activating for higher MAC prices or anything...
BUT, in order for MAC to compete with most of the other counters in the dept stores here, their pricing really does need to be the way it is.
So a lipstick at MAC is $35, a lipstick at Dior/Chanel/Guerlain and so on is $49-$68!! MAC when you compare it to the other brands here is actually REALLY reasonably priced. In fact, if I wasn't aware of the MAC prices in the US, I'd think they were cheap!
So not only do MAC need to preserve their "high end" image, if they sold lipsticks for the equivalent USD to AUD, their over-all counter performance against the rest of the floor would be horrible, already MAC have to sell double the units of most other brands to rake in the same amount of dollars. So if they had lower prices, they wouldnt be able to pay their artists the most on the floor (true), and they wouldnt have the power to get the biggest counters in the best positions on the floor, and this would affect the whole brand's dynamics.
Now, lets look at "drug store" brands. Cover girl, maybelline and so on charge about $17-$19 a mascara. MAC charges $25. Dior charges $51.
MAC is actually closer to the drug store price! So, drug store brands here aren't really "cheap" either, they are MORE than double the price of the same products in the US.
So why this price overload in Australia?
Well, Australia has a higher average wage, we also have a higher minimum wage. This means theoretically that we should have more money to spend on such things like make-up, food and so on than people in the US.
This is my understanding of the pricing structure here in Australia. And whilst I love cheap make-up, after studying Marketing at Uni for 3 years, I actually agree with it
Ok *end essay* haha
