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Price Index

How the Price Index works

The short version: we check the same products at the same retailers every month, record the Canadian-dollar shelf price and the time we checked it, and publish the results unchanged.

Last updated

What we track

The Index currently follows 23 Korean and Japanese skincare products, chosen because they are widely searched for and sold to Canadian shoppers. Each product is tracked in one specific size, so prices are comparable from month to month. The product list can change; when it does, we note it in that month's edition.

Which retailers

We aim to cover 17 retailers that sell to Canada. The latest edition has prices from 10 of them; the others are still being added, and we say so rather than fill gaps with estimates.

  • Amazon.ca: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • YesStyle: ships to Canada from outside the country. Priced in the latest edition.
  • Stylevana: ships to Canada from outside the country. Priced in the latest edition.
  • Sephora Canada: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • Shoppers Drug Mart: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • Kiokii: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • KBeauty Canada: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • Lakinza: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • THEKSHOP: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • KBeauty Mart: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • BSW Beauty: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • Chuusi: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • SKIN.TO: ships from within Canada. Priced in the latest edition.
  • Sukoshi: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • Dew Beauty: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • Skinus: ships from within Canada. Not yet priced.
  • Olive Young Global: ships to Canada from outside the country. Not yet priced.

Retailers are included because they are commonly used by Canadian K-beauty shoppers, not because of any commercial relationship. Some of them run affiliate programs; that never affects whether they're included or how their prices are shown. See our affiliate disclosure.

How prices are collected

  • Where a retailer allows it (per its robots.txt), an automated script reads the public product page or product data, identifies itself honestly, and waits several seconds between requests. We never get around bot protection.
  • Where a retailer blocks automated access, we record prices by hand from the public page. Amazon.ca prices come only from Amazon's official API.
  • A product is matched only when brand, product name and size all agree. Bundles, minis and similar-sounding products are rejected, and an uncertain match is left blank.
  • We record the listed price in Canadian dollars, whether the item shows as in stock, and the exact date and time of the check.
  • Where a retailer lists a price in another currency, we only record it if the retailer itself shows a CAD price.
  • We record the regular listed price shown to a logged-out visitor. Coupon codes, loyalty discounts and member pricing are excluded.

What the numbers don't include

Shipping, duties and sales tax are not included, because they depend on where you live and what else is in your cart. Retailers shipping from outside Canada may add duties or brokerage fees at delivery. Always check the final total at checkout.

Reading the Index

The overview table shows the lowest price for an in-stock listing. If every retailer was out of stock, we show the lowest price and flag it as out of stock. Every price appears alongside the retailer and the date it was checked. If a price has no check date, we don't publish it.

Sunscreens

Some tracked products are sunscreens. In Canada, sunscreens are regulated as non-prescription drugs or natural health products, and a product authorised for sale here carries a DIN or NPN on its label. Including a sunscreen in the Index is a record of its price, not an endorsement or a statement that a particular listing is authorised for sale in Canada. Check the label before you buy.

Corrections

If you spot a price that looks wrong, tell us with the retailer and the date. We check every report, correct the data when we've made an error, and note the correction on the edition.

Using the data

Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite the Index. Please credit "Mizuki Price Index" and link to the edition you used. Our press page has more.