Target Does Away With Gender-Specific Branding For Certain Children's Products
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
While shopping at Target in the near future, you may have some trouble finding a specific "boys" or "girls" toy.
The retail giant announced on Friday that it will begin phasing out gender-specific signage in its stores in the coming months, mainly for children's toys and home and entertainment items.
According to a release posted on Friday, the company said it has faced pressure for over a year from customers who are worried about "product suggestions based on gender." However, there are still cases where specific signage is necessary, the company said.
"Over the past year, guests have raised important questions about a handful of signs in our stores that offer product suggestions based on gender. In some cases, like apparel, where there are fit and sizing differences, it makes sense. In others, it may not."
Target says that most cases where gender-specific signs are appropriate occur when someone is shopping for a someone they don't know well and that "signs that sort by brand, age or gender help them get ideas and find things faster."
"Our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance. For example, in the kids' Bedding area, signs will no longer feature suggestions for boys or girls, just kids. In the Toys aisles, we'll also remove reference to gender, including the use of pink, blue, yellow or green paper on the back walls of our shelves."
The Target online store still allows shoppers to sort toys based on three categories -- Boy, Girl, and Gender-Neutral.
