Target is getting rid of “boy” and “girl” labels in its department stores as it moves towards a more “gender-neutral” shopping experience.
The retail giant announced all its US stores would no longer have gendered signage in departments including clothing, toys and bedding.
In a statement released last week, Target said customer complaints were behind the changes, which will be rolled out over the next few months.
“Over the past year, guests have raised important questions about a handful of signs in our stores that offer product suggestions based on gender,” the statement read.
“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.
“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 announcement has divided shoppers, with many praising Target for allowing kids to be kids, while other say it will make it much harder for people to find what they are looking for.
The move comes two months after Ohio mother Abi Bechtel made headlines when she tweeted the above image of an aisle in her local Target store directing shoppers to “building sets” and “girls’ building sets”.
