WATCH: Retail giant Target says it will begin to remove gender-based labels in its aisles in order to address customer concerns over which toys are meant to be played with by girls and which are meant for boys. Kristine Lazar reports.
Retail giant Target says it’s removing some of its gendered-based labels from their shopping aisles over ongoing customer feedback on what’s seen as appropriate for girls and what’s meant for boys.
It all began with a tweet in June by user Abi Bechtel who was shopping at Target and noticed the building sets for boys were in a different area of the store than for girls. The tweet, along with other customer complaints, raised concerns from parents on the idea of gender bias when it comes to labelling toys and clothing.
Two months later on Aug. 7, Target released a statement on their website saying they didn’t want customers to feel “frustrated or limited” based on signs in their stores that “offer product suggestions based on gender.” The statement continues to read in part:
“We heard you, and we agree. Right now, our teams are working across the store to identify areas where we can phase out gender-based signage to help strike a better balance.”
Since then, Target’s Facebook page has seen its share of support and criticism over the retailer’s decision on removing gender-based signs.
“Thank you Target! Toys are for all kids!” read one Facebook comment.
While another comment from a Facebook user read “…unliking your page and I will never shop at your store again…”
Target said some of the areas in which its customers will notice the sign changes will be in the bedding department and toy aisles, which are usually separated based on gender.
“My husband and I have been trying to raise [our son] with no gender distinctions. So I love the idea of taking him through the aisles and him just being exposed to whatever he sees,” Jennifer Kuhlman told CBS 2 in the video.
All-in-all, the retailer’s decisions looks like it’s here to stay, with Target letting customers know they’ll begin to see signage changes over the next few months.
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