Target has decided to no longer label toy aisles based on gender. That means there are will be no more “girls’ building sets” labels. Stores will also no longer have dedicated sections in the bedding aisles.
The change was announced last week and appears to be a direct response to the social media grumblings an Ohio mom started in June. Abi Bechtel complained about gender bias after seeing a sign on the toy aisle that read “building sets” and “girls’ building sets.”
The retailer listened and wrote that they do not want their signage to make “guests or their families to feel frustrated or limited by the way things are presented.”
“Historically, guests have told us that sometimes—for example, when shopping for someone they don’t know well—signs that sort by brand, age or gender help them get ideas and find things faster,” the company said last week. “But we know that shopping preferences and needs change and, as guests have pointed out, in some departments like Toys, Home or Entertainment, suggesting products by gender is unnecessary.”
The changes are expected to start over the next few months. They will include getting rid of colored paper on the back walls of shelves in the toy aisles and no division of girls’ and boys’ bedding. You’ll just see a toy section and a kids’ bedding section.
While some parents might be happy with this change, others are rallying against the shift to a “gender neutral” store. Some have even written on the comments directly on the Target site that they will no longer shop there.
Still, there has been a growing online movement to stop splitting the toy aisles by gender, as The Washington Post notes. It wasn’t just one mom from Ohio. Organizations like Let Toys Be Toys and No Gender December have called for retailers, marketers and manufacturers to stop selling toys based on gender stereotypes.