Supply and Demand
In John F. Lawrence’s Sept. 7 column, “Sex Bias Still Lives--Even for Dry Cleaning,” let’s overlook the sexism in the remark that women are more appearance-conscious than men and pretend that it is a proven fact.
Where does this lead us?
Gloria Allred proves that she is a lawyer and not an economist by assuming that the final selling price is solely a function of the cost of production. Hasn’t she ever heard of demand? The amount that consumers are willing to pay is as important as production costs in determining the final selling price of any product or service.
If neatly pressed shirts are of more utility to women than men, then the service has more value for them and the seller will adjust his price accordingly. It is not a sneaky sexist plot but merely the operation of the law of supply and demand.
WALT KEVILLE
San Diego
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