Shop owner charges men more than women to highlight wage inequality

At the Less Than 100 pop-up shop in Pittsburgh, male customers might have some sticker shock: They're being charged full price for all items, while female shoppers are paying just 76 percent.

The purpose of artist Elana Schlenker's shop is to bring attention to wage inequality, she said, and her discount is based on a report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that found the average woman in Pennsylvania earns 76 percent of what men earn. "Clearly, 76 is really oversimplified, and when you look at profession, age, or race, it's worse or better," Schlenker told ABC News. "But this is something that we're discussing a lot in the store. Depending upon who you talk to, there are a lot of different opinions on what the impact of the wage gap can be."

At first, Schlenker said she was concerned about the reaction she'd receive from men, but she's found most of them are responding positively and "talking about the women in their lives who have supported them," she said. Less Than 100 is selling original artwork, textiles, magazines, food items, and accessories made by local women, ranging in price from $1 to $300. Schlenker will shut the store down at the end of the month, but she's already planning on opening up again in New Orleans this November — in Louisiana, AAUW says, the average woman earns 66 cents to the dollar earned by male counterparts.

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