Target priced black Barbie twice as much as white Barbie

theGRIO REPORT - Warren Johnson was online Christmas shopping for his daughter when he noticed Target was selling a black Barbie doll for twice as much as the white Barbie...

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Warren Johnson was online Christmas shopping for his daughter when he noticed Target was selling a black Barbie doll for twice as much as the white Barbie.

The 33-year-old became upset when he noticed the black doll cost $49.99, while the white doll cost $23.49.

Both dolls wear the same clothing and come with the same accessories that allow children to create their own paper clothing designs through the use of a the website and a printer.

“When my daughter asked the question, ‘Why is the black doll more expensive than the white doll?’ I really didn’t have an answer for her,” Johnson told WCPO.

Johnson told Buzzfeed he called three local stores. Two stores told him it was an error, and the third said the pricing difference was because the white Barbie was more popular.

Johnson made a call to Target’s corporate headquarters, and he spoke to a supervisor who was “apologetic” and “basically speechless” when he explained the situation. She then gave Johnson the doll for the same price as the white Barbie.

Target issued the following statement Monday to WCPO:

Both dolls should have reflected the same pricing, however, due to a systems issue this change did not occur. We appreciate you bringing this discrepancy to our attention and have since adjusted the pricing and product detail listing.

Target initially reduced the price of both dolls to $20.99 Monday morning.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Target had both dolls priced $49.99.

Follow theGrio’s Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals

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