SoHo store stirs controversy by advertising one price for men, another for women

SOHO, Manhattan (WABC) -- It might sound a little strange: a store in SoHo is advertising one price for men and one price for women.

The fake discount was meant to send a message, but it's creating backlash far beyond the intended purpose.

"It wasn't to hurt anybody, it wasn't intention to do anything bad," said owner Jolie Alony.

But now it's all hands on deck at Thompson Chemists, as the small pharmacy is being bombarded with emails and phone calls, 24 hours after Alony posted signs in the front window of her business.

"I'm glad that I did it. As being a New Yorker that I thought I was open to everything, seeing what came across throughout the country kind of shocked me," she said.

In place for just one day, they say, all female customers shop tax free. The other one..all male customers are subject to a 7 percent 'man tax'.

Jolie was highlighting the so-called 'pink tax', how on average, women's products cost more than similar items for men.

She didn't really charge men more..is making up the difference created by the discount for women.

But some people were so upset they made it political, mentioning both presidential customers.

"People are so angry that I think this was their way of expressing their anger," said Jolie. "I don't know if it was to the point of what we were doing as opposed to what's going on in the world today."

On the flip side, Jolie tells me she received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, people supporting and applauding what she did.

I think it's funny. I mean first of all, she's right," said one customer.

She went on to agree, politics is at play.

"Would you do it again?", we asked Jolie. "For other issues, absolutely, because now I see that now you can bring awareness throughout the world, virally, in today's world that you could never do in our age of the world."