Woman went to Target and found large-size bikinis costing a premium. She asks an employee to remove ‘fat tax’

A Target customer recently challenged the pricing structure of plus-size clothing after discovering a price difference between two bikinis, Daily Dot reported. The interaction, which was captured in a video posted on X, shows the shopper bringing a size Large bikini priced at $6 and a size 3X version priced at $8 to the checkout counter. She asked the employee if they could be price-matched, noting that the only difference between the items was the size. As of the publication date, this video has reached 38,000 views on X.

The shopper explained to the employee, “I was also wondering if you could price-match these, because for some reason in the app it was showing that the 3X was $8, but the large was $6.” In response, the employee acknowledged that larger sizes sometimes cost more due to the use of more material.

The employee stated, “It sounds really stupid or ridiculous, but I’m going to change it anyway for you. … I don’t agree with that myself, personally.” The video featured on-screen text that read, “Getting The ‘Fat Tax’ At Target Removed,” and included screenshots from the Target app to support the claim.

This interaction has sparked a massive debate among viewers regarding manufacturing costs and retail policies

Many commenters argued that the price difference is justified by the extra fabric, additional pattern pieces, and higher production costs associated with larger garments. One user wrote, “If a person can’t figure out that an XXXL swimsuit takes enough material to make 3 size S swimsuits and thus costs more, they shouldn’t be let out in public.” Another person compared the disparity in material to household items, stating, “The cost of a table napkin does not compare with a Queen size bed sheet.”

The employee’s decision to override the price also drew significant criticism from those who believe staff should follow corporate guidelines regardless of their personal views. One commenter argued that the employee should face consequences, writing, “Target employee gives a discount because she personally doesn’t agree there ought to be price differences? Fire her.”

This group believes that employees should not be independently altering prices based on their own opinions. On the other hand, some people defended the worker, with one user noting, “She doesn’t have a choice in the pricing structure! Bullies are gonna bully.”

The conversation eventually expanded to include broader topics like body positivity and the representation of plus-size models in advertisements. Some users focused on the campaign imagery, leading to a heated exchange where some called the criticism body-shaming, while others viewed the debate as an attack.

Retailers generally handle extended-size pricing in different ways. Some companies choose to charge more for larger sizes, citing the higher costs of production and raw materials, while others opt for uniform pricing across their entire size range.

Target did not respond to a request for comment regarding its specific sizing and pricing policies. The identities of the customer and the employee involved in the video have not been confirmed, and the details of the interaction have not been independently verified.