Inglot has increased their prices in their UK & US stores causing a huge uproar in the makeup community.
Inglot lovers, & potential buyers who have heard good reviews on this Polish brand have expressed their dismay at the price hike. The increase is already in place in UK stores & will take effect in the US stores on 7/2/2011. Inglot USA are using the same day to introduce their new Inglot 20 Eyeshadow Freedom System palette, already released in the UK.
Unfortunately for Inglot, a lot of people are saying that they will not purchase Inglot Freedom System palettes after the increase. In the US the cost of a 10 Square Eyeshadow palette is currently $50, however will increase to $80 on the 7th of February. This has made a lot of people upset & angry.
There is speculation that the price increase is due to the rise in the online popularity that Inglot have had over the last 3 months, especially on online communities such as YouTube.
The positive reviews Inglot have received (especially for their eyeshadows) have always been similar - that the brand is:
- Excellent quality
- Very pigmented &
- Cheap
Makeup lovers in the Internet community are saying that Inglot are cashing in on this popularity & selling out.
Inglot USA's official Twitter account tweeted that
"The product is still extremely affordable, and lines prices do go up eventually. The quality of our product shows."
Yes, prices do rise eventually, but this is a huge hike. I'm guessing that their stores will be extremely busy for the next few days, but what will happen after this?
Will Inglot survive? Will they respond to the uproar?
Inglot In Australia
The Australian Inglot prices are not cheap, and have never been. They are above drug store brand makeup costs, however in my opinion the product is good enough to justify the amount of money spent. That is,
if they don't raise our prices too.
If prices do go higher, Unfortunately I won't be purchasing Inglot anymore. This is
really hard to say as I love this brand, their excellent customer service in their Sydney stores (especially Chatswood) & excellent products.
The makeup market in Australia a hugely saturated place, so much so that even cult brands such as Stila & Urban Decay have not made a mark here, and were removed from mainstream retail sale. I'm afraid that if Inglot raise their Australian prices, the same thing will happen to them here too.
The current costs for Inglot Freedom System Palettes in Australia are:
10 Square Eyeshadows = $85
5 Square Eyeshadows = $50
4 Square Eyeshadows = $40
2 Square Eyeshadows = $28
Were the higher Australian prices a test to see if people would buy the product at a higher cost? Or, will Australia also see a price increase? Only time will tell.
Don't push yourself out of the market Inglot! Keep your prices as they are!
What do you think of the price increases? Have Inglot made a bad decision?
NB: As of 10/02/2011 Inglot USA have decided to postpone the price increase. Originally they moved it from 7/2/2011 to 14/2/2011 (yes, Valentines Day), however the latest news is that it will be May 2011.
It is suspected that this is due to the huge public uproar on Twitter & YouTube, which included UK makeup artist Wayne Goss speaking out about the increase (which had already happened in the UK).
Price Increases in Australia
Edit: as of April 2011, the Freedom Eyeshadow palette is now $95, an increase of $10. I do not have a listing of all product prices, but apparently the entire Freedom Palette range, as well as their other products will see an increase of a few dollars.
Another edit: As of July 2011, Inglot Australia have increased their prices for a second time in 3 months (the first was in April 2011).
The prices of the freedom palettes in Australian stores & Inglot Australia Online are now as follows:
20 Square Eyeshadows = Was $180, now $225 (inc palette)
10 Square Eyeshadows = Was $95, now $115 (inc palette)
5 Square Eyeshadows = Was $50, now $60 (inc palette)
4 Square Eyeshadows = Was $40, now $49 (inc palette)
3 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, Now $38 (inc palette)
2 Square Eyeshadows = Was $28, now $27 (inc palette)
The Square eyeshadow refills are now $10 each, and the palettes are now purchased separately. According to Inglot, the advantage is that you do not have to fill an entire palette at the time of purchase - you can buy a few shadows now, & then add more to your palette whenever you like (whereas previously you had to fill the palette at time of purchase). This has made the palettes more expensive (e.g. the 10 palette was $85 in March, & is now $115).
The 40 palettes (inc The Power Of Matte palettes) are due to be released in Australia in August, by the above calculations the shadows will be $400 plus the cost of the palette (unknown at this time - if the 20 palette is $25, a good guess would be $30 or $35?)
. $430+ for a 40 palette???? Wow!
Price Increases in USA
It finally happened. The prices in the USA also increased at the same time & the prices there are now as follows:
The Square eyeshadow refills are now $5 each.
40 Square Eyeshadows = Was?, now $229 (inc palette)
10 Square Eyeshadows = Was $50, now $60 (inc palette)
5 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, now $33 (inc palette)
4 Square Eyeshadows = The USA don't seem to have the 4 palette at Inglot USA online
3 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, Now $21 (inc palette)
2 Square Eyeshadows = Was ?, $15 (inc palette)
Even with the price rise in the USA, the 10 palette is $55 more in Australia - almost twice the price, even though the Australian dollar is currently higher than the US dollar. Doesn't seem fair does it?