Target sign (Photo : Reuters)
American retail company Target Corporation recently announced its plan to ditch gender labels on its toys and entertainment sections. The decision, clearly aimed to promote gender equality, was met with mixed responses with some raising the concern that the company is overdoing its efforts towards gender equality.
The statement posted on Target's official website reads, "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 statement from Target also pointed that while it is changing its gender labels in the Toys, Home and Entertainment aisle, gender specific signs in its Apparel section will stay. Additionally, the retail chain will also ditch color choices on the back walls of its shelves that suggest gender preference like pink, yellow, blue, or green.
When it was first introduced, Target's gender coded signs on its retail stores were introduced in order to help customers. However, the company was lambasted by various social media outlets after a photo of its aisle that separated toys depending on gender went viral. The surge of comments regarding gender equality forced Target to make the necessary change.
Despite the company's effort to please both sides of the issue, the new plan to introduce androgynous signage on its stores was again met with criticism. One of the cited repercussion that this new signage rule present is that it will make harder for customers to find what they really want.
Target is not the first retail store to adopt gender neutral signage. Toys "R" US is already practicing this protocol for several years. According to NBC News, the changes will be implemented on all Target stores within the next few months.
