Witch Hazel price fixing? (Price has pentupled in 2 years)

WilliamIam · Jan 22, 2012

I live in California, and every major retailer has, within the last two years, dropped the previous line of Witch Hazel they were selling for about $1.19 a bottle, and now sells TN Dickinson's (which is horribly overpriced anyway) for about $7 a bottle, and a knock-off brand for a dollar or two less - $4.50 to $5.50.

Is there some war, disease/pest, change in demand, or other legitimate factor that has jacked the price of Witch Hazel up through the roof? Or was the Pest just some corporate jerk who noticed that a bigger profit could be turned by carrying TN Dickinson's and then something that looks like it's reasonably priced?

Seriously, what the heck is going on?

mblakele · Jan 22, 2012

I wondered too. Maybe the demand has increased? Or maybe the witch hazel is getting harder to source, so the manufacturers are charging more? I think there are only one or two industrial-quantity producers, despite the variety of retail labels.

jrocker · Jan 22, 2012

its still a buck or two around here

thatsilverguy · Jan 22, 2012

I'll have to check. Last I bought was under $2 USD

ackvil · Jan 22, 2012

Down here WH costs between $4 to $6 for store brand and Dickinson's respectively. Thayers goes for a bit more.

Moondancer · Jan 22, 2012

I just priced Thayers at a local health food store and it was $10.59 for the bottle.
IIRC, my current bottle of Dickinson's, bought at my local grocery store, was around $2.50 back in November.

gwav64 · Jan 22, 2012

It's like the price of gas and groceries: rising higher all the time. Someone sneezes in Siberia and gas goes up. An orange falls from the tree to the ground in a Florida grove and groceries go up. It's the new era of greed: if demand rises, kill the competiton and jack up the prices as quickly as possible (and source it out to China, so profits will reach dizzying heights). I have seen TN Dickinson's relabel the same witch hazel, reduce the portion, and quadruple the price.

dpmtherrien · Jan 22, 2012

I look when I'm out for a good price on WH, and when I find it I'll grab a couple of bottles. I know its usually around $2.50 around these parts.

jcwit · Jan 22, 2012

Dollar General still has it for $1.29 here in No. Indiana.

DOLLARBILL · Jan 22, 2012

Hey a Loaf of Bread is 3.00 ! Buy a Couple next time you see a bargain !
Enjoy Your Shave !

klm099 · Jan 22, 2012

A buck and change at Walmart, Dollar General, and Family Dollar Generics in SW Florida
ken

Retiredgene · Jan 22, 2012

WilliamIam said:
I live in California, and every major retailer has, within the last two years, dropped the previous line of Witch Hazel they were selling for about $1.19 a bottle, and now sells TN Dickinson's (which is horribly overpriced anyway) for about $7 a bottle, and a knock-off brand for a dollar or two less - $4.50 to $5.50.

Is there some war, disease/pest, change in demand, or other legitimate factor that has jacked the price of Witch Hazel up through the roof? Or was the Pest just some corporate jerk who noticed that a bigger profit could be turned by carrying TN Dickinson's and then something that looks like it's reasonably priced?

Seriously, what the heck is going on?

Here in Boston area, I just picked up a 12 oz. bottle of Thayer's Witch Hazel w/Aloe vera at the local health store for $8.79.

Gene

njpaddy · Jan 22, 2012

I always use Dickinson's. Depending on the store the price can vary up to $2. I usually buy it at the grocery for convenience. I think the yellow label runs about $3.50 and the blue label around $4.50. I could find it cheaper, but then I'd just spend any savings in gas.

Ptroiani · Jan 22, 2012

I get mine at DOLLAR TREE. It is just as good as Dickinson's, and there are only a few producers anyway. What it comes down to is that a large factory makes millions of gallons of WH, then runs them through a bottling line. One line for one manufacturer.... maybe all of the 'private labels' on another machine.

When I worked for HJ Heinz, there was a dog and cat food production plant in Bloomsburg, PA. They would label 9-lives... then stop the can flow, change labels, and be putting IGA labels on the cans.. then Shop-rite, Wal-Mart, Kroger... you name it. That plant made every private label cat food and several name brands - the only difference was the label on the can.

It all comes down to what you want to pay for. I have used Dickenson's and CVS... they are right there with the dollar store brand. Give it a try - with this particular product, I don't think there is any difference at all. Just my 2 cents..

Paul

aceinyerface · Jan 22, 2012

WilliamIam said:
I live in California, and every major retailer has, within the last two years, dropped the previous line of Witch Hazel they were selling for about $1.19 a bottle, and now sells TN Dickinson's (which is horribly overpriced anyway) for about $7 a bottle, and a knock-off brand for a dollar or two less - $4.50 to $5.50.

Is there some war, disease/pest, change in demand, or other legitimate factor that has jacked the price of Witch Hazel up through the roof? Or was the Pest just some corporate jerk who noticed that a bigger profit could be turned by carrying TN Dickinson's and then something that looks like it's reasonably priced?

Seriously, what the heck is going on?

Some people pay more instead of shopping around, once companies figured out their shopping habits they put the screws on.

Solution- shop around.

cb91710 · Jan 22, 2012

Interesting now that you mention it.
I remember not too many years ago SWMBO keeping around bottles that looked the same as rubbing alcohol. Frosted white bottles, generic label... nothing special, don't even recall the branding.

DFSDAILY · Jan 22, 2012

I pay less than $3.00 for it at Walmart.

David in Boston · Jan 22, 2012

Ptroiani said:
I get mine at DOLLAR TREE. It is just as good as Dickinson's, and there are only a few producers anyway. What it comes down to is that a large factory makes millions of gallons of WH, then runs them through a bottling line. One line for one manufacturer.... maybe all of the 'private labels' on another machine.

When I worked for HJ Heinz, there was a dog and cat food production plant in Bloomsburg, PA. They would label 9-lives... then stop the can flow, change labels, and be putting IGA labels on the cans.. then Shop-rite, Wal-Mart, Kroger... you name it. That plant made every private label cat food and several name brands - the only difference was the label on the can.

It all comes down to what you want to pay for. I have used Dickerson's and CVS... they are right there with the dollar store brand. Give it a try - with this particular product, I don't think there is any difference at all. Just my 2 cents..

Paul

Had a friend who worked at a dairy plant who told me how they would change the labels/cartons on the assembly line.

Same milk just different label.

Hmmm...what are the odds the generic witch hazels at the Dollar Store etc are made by Dickenson? :001_rolle

D.Jackson · Jan 22, 2012

It's all the new traditional wet shavers driving up the demand.

Obiwan · Jan 22, 2012

I noticed the same thing, but recently found target sells a store brand for around 1.40

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Witch Hazel price fixing? (Price has pentupled in 2 years)

WilliamIam

mblakele

jrocker

thatsilverguy

ackvil

Moondancer

gwav64

dpmtherrien

jcwit

DOLLARBILL

klm099

Retiredgene

njpaddy

Ptroiani

aceinyerface

cb91710

DFSDAILY

David in Boston

D.Jackson

Obiwan

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