Just Finished Another Diy Decorating Project And Wonder.....

[janzman]

....why coloured emulsion paint is so much more expensive than white.
At Wilko's, for example, Dulux Pure Brilliant White is £12.95 for 2.5Lt (and just £14.95 for 5Lt) but as soon a splash of colour is added its £18.00 for 2.5Lt. It can't be the amount or density of colour as the price is the same no matter how light or dark the paint is. Can anyone help with this one.

[The Builder]

Brilliant white (and Magnolia) are produced in huge batches... thus there are economies of scale.

If colours are stocked ready-mixed, then there are so many of them that it's far more costly to stock them all.

Builders Merchants tend to stock only base white. Colours are mixed to order. Hence a little more labour cost, plus they have to keep and maintain the necessary mixing machine.