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Post by scrapsotime on Aug 11, 2015 23:43:58 GMT
I think people are up in arms over a whole lot of nothing. Do you really need a pink sign to find a specific girl toy? The Barbie aisle is an explosion of pink even without a sign.
One comment I saw said that it was going to make it harder to shop and find things that were gender specific. I don't understand that at all.
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Post by gorgeouskid on Aug 11, 2015 23:46:17 GMT
I think the kerfuffle on both sides is stupid.
DS knew where the "girl" aisle was long before he could read. He refused to even walk down the pink and purple explosion because it was "for girls." I have no idea where he got that from as he had toys of all colors and gender identities and watched carefully curated (oh the hipster word) videos. No one to that point had ever said anything was girl or boy specific.
Gender specificity won't go away because signage is changed. Period.
(Eta- DS's favorite color is now pink. He wears it without prejudice. He also loves red and purple.)
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Post by alissa103 on Aug 11, 2015 23:53:04 GMT
I don't care, but I would like to see more gender neutral play things in general. Some of the "divides" are just stupid. I'm also not sure if merging the aisles is going to do much when the manufacturers of the toys package dolls and "girl toys" in a sea of pink.
As a side note, every freaking doll doesn't have to be a girl wearing a pink dress, either. It was a nightmare finding a boy doll for my DS when he wanted one from Santa (last minute request). I knew they are out there and we eventually found the last one at a local toy store, but not easy to find in mass market retailers... He also loved pushing strollers and shopping carts around when he was younger. Shopping carts were easier to find in neutral colors. But doll strollers? I never found an inexpensive one that wasn't pink or lavender.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Aug 11, 2015 23:57:07 GMT
I think toys are pretty easy unless they start mixing everything up. As ling as they keep like with like it really won't change much. I thought it was clothes as well and that would be a pain. Shopping with my DS is hard enough if I have to shop with pink stuff as well it will just make it harder. Not planning to quit shopping at target any time soon though. I don't really see that much is going to change.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Aug 12, 2015 0:01:10 GMT
I don't care, but I would like to see more gender neutral play things in general. Some of the "divides" are just stupid. I'm also not sure if merging the aisles is going to do much when the manufacturers of the toys package dolls and "girl toys" in a sea of pink. As a side note, every freaking doll doesn't have to be a girl wearing a pink dress, either. It was a nightmare finding a boy doll for my DS when he wanted one from Santa (last minute request). I knew they are out there and we eventually found the last one at a local toy store, but not easy to find in mass market retailers... He also loved pushing strollers and shopping carts around when he was younger. Shopping carts were easier to find in neutral colors. But doll strollers? I never found an inexpensive one that wasn't pink or lavender. Oh my I forgot about shopping carts. My son had one and loved it. It was yellow but I agree finding them that weren't pink wasn't fun. I was the girl that liked girl things but wasn't a fan of pink or purple. I actually got so sick of pink.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 12, 2015 0:01:30 GMT
Such a stupid thing to be up in arms over. Really? Does it matter what color signage is out there? Kids don't look at signs, they look at shelves.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 0:03:46 GMT
They're still going to put all the Barbies together, right? And the Lego toys? So really all that's changing is how they're labeling the aisles.
Much ado about nothing, IMO.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 0:37:22 GMT
I'm glad they are doing it and I hope they don't just leave everything in the same place, but rather group all like things together. Like all LEGO together, not LEGO Friends and LEGO everything else in separate places. I'm so tired of everything being gendered. My son loves his toy vacuum (still) and his pots and pans. He questioned why those were "girl" toys when we bought them. I told him they aren't, but some people just like to label everything.
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Post by auntkelly on Aug 12, 2015 0:47:46 GMT
I could care less. I didn't even know the toy aisles were labeled "girl" and "boy."
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Aug 12, 2015 1:28:45 GMT
Such a stupid thing to be up in arms over. Really? Does it matter what color signage is out there? Kids don't look at signs, they look at shelves. Exactly! My 4yo knows at a glance if the aisle is a "boy" aisle or a "girl" aisle, I don't even have time to notice if there *is* a sign. So long as I can glance down the aisle (sans kids) and know which one to find what I'm looking for I couldn't care less how the aisle is labeled.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 1:33:22 GMT
Such a stupid thing to be up in arms over. Really? Does it matter what color signage is out there? Kids don't look at signs, they look at shelves. Exactly! My 4yo knows at a glance if the aisle is a "boy" aisle or a "girl" aisle, I don't even have time to notice if there *is* a sign. So long as I can glance down the aisle (sans kids) and know which one to find what I'm looking for I couldn't care less how the aisle is labeled. That's the whole thing, though... why is everything separated like that to begin with? Why can't Barbie be next to superheroes? Why organize by perceived audience? It's just dumb.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Aug 12, 2015 1:34:41 GMT
Ok if it's just toys and bedding I have never noticed signs thst said boy or girl in these sections. I have seen signs that say Legos or barbies I think but never gender.
I was also the girl that likes science and couldn't care less if the signs had said boy. I would have still been interested.
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Post by padresfan619 on Aug 12, 2015 1:35:18 GMT
How is not assigning a gender to toys a slippery slope? The question isn't directed at you OP, but the people who chose that option.
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Post by melanell on Aug 12, 2015 1:38:48 GMT
It's a good idea--just label the aisle with what's in it and let the shoppers decide who to buy it for. So put the action figures & barbies & baby dolls together or put them apart. But label the aisle as "action figures" or "dolls" or even just "fake people". it's all good. I don't need you to suggest if they are for a girl or a boy. You don't label the produce aisle as the "Health Nut aisle", right?
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Post by maryland on Aug 12, 2015 1:40:01 GMT
We were in a playgroup with 3 other moms and kids when my kids were babies/toddlers. There were boys and girls in the group, and they played with everything! It didn't matter if it was legos, superheros, barbies, kitchens, dollhouses. They all loved every toy. And the moms (and dads) never discouraged their sons and daughters from playing with anything!
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johnnysmom
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Post by johnnysmom on Aug 12, 2015 1:41:03 GMT
Exactly! My 4yo knows at a glance if the aisle is a "boy" aisle or a "girl" aisle, I don't even have time to notice if there *is* a sign. So long as I can glance down the aisle (sans kids) and know which one to find what I'm looking for I couldn't care less how the aisle is labeled. That's the whole thing, though... why is everything separated like that to begin with? Why can't Barbie be next to superheroes? Why organize by perceived audience? It's just dumb. From a marketing stand point you want to put things that interests a buyer closer to each other. Odds are greater that a girl looking at Barbies is more likely to turn around and be interested by a Cabbage Patch doll than she would be by a Batman figure If you're looking at a $10 barbie you're not going to be swayed to buy the $30 spiderman playset next to it. I personally don't care, and never understood why Lego had to create "girl" legos instead of just creating more legos, why the pink box and separate aisle? And I also dealt with trying to find a non-pink play kitchen and the like, frustrating as heck.
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Post by freecharlie on Aug 12, 2015 2:27:56 GMT
Exactly! My 4yo knows at a glance if the aisle is a "boy" aisle or a "girl" aisle, I don't even have time to notice if there *is* a sign. So long as I can glance down the aisle (sans kids) and know which one to find what I'm looking for I couldn't care less how the aisle is labeled. That's the whole thing, though... why is everything separated like that to begin with? Why can't Barbie be next to superheroes? Why organize by perceived audience? It's just dumb. brac use barbie takes a whole row. Then the dolls. We group towels together, why not toys? Swim stuff is all in one aisle as is camping.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 2:34:12 GMT
That's the whole thing, though... why is everything separated like that to begin with? Why can't Barbie be next to superheroes? Why organize by perceived audience? It's just dumb. brac use barbie takes a whole row. Then the dolls. We group towels together, why not toys? Swim stuff is all in one aisle as is camping. Action figures are dolls IMO. I think they should be grouped together. Building toys should be together, regardless of their colors or themes. Outdoor toys should be together, regardless of their color. And so on.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 2:48:02 GMT
I rolled my eyes a little when I read it.
On one hand, logically, some of what they do makes sense. Barbie DOES take up a whole aisle. And where there is extra space, it makes logical sense to fill that space with other dolls that you dress and groom....those happen to be marketed to girls. So that aisle or aisles will be pink by default.
OTOH, it makes no sense to me that they have Legos in 2-4 places in some stores. In my store, we have girl Lego, boy Lego, Duplos, and then the novelty Duplos like Princesses and Lightning McQueen--ALL in different places. That's nuts. Put them all in one place, or two if you must separate by age. If they put all the other building manipulatives in that same aisle--fantastic. And I think it would be awesome for the play kitchens and the play barbeques and the dress up princesses and dress up firemen to all cohabitate in a "make believe play" aisle. Right now, those things ARE split up by gender and that's ridiculous. I appreciate their efforts along those lines.
I see no reason why the Nerf aisle needs any gender designation, but I can see how the Hotwheels aisle will "look" just as "boy" as the Barbies do "girl" simply by packaging. That's not Target's fault.
What I think will be ridiculous is if they split up things JUST to be "integrated." Like half an aisle of barbies with half an aisle of superheroes, and then the REST of the Barbies in the next aisle, along with the Cabbage Patch. It some point, it still makes logical sense to keep like toys together. I guess that's my point. I think they should let similarity in age and/or type be what governs groupings. I hate shopping at JC Penney and having to look in 5 different places for Polo Shirts for DH. Similarly, I don't want to look 5 different places for dolls just because they have to now be split up for fear of appearing gender specific.
I think if they're grouped by age or similarity, some things will fall masculine, some will fall neutral, and some will fall feminine, not by labeling, but by the majority of kids who are interested in those things.
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Post by AussieMeg on Aug 12, 2015 2:48:32 GMT
Gender specificity won't go away because signage is changed. Period. (Eta- DS's favorite color is now pink. He wears it without prejudice. He also loves red and purple.) I agree with you, that gender specificity won't go away just because signage is changed. I'm not sure which answer to select on the poll to be honest. All I know is that my daughter and niece both loved anything pink and sparkly when they were little girls. Even though they were given loads of opportunity to play with a big variety of "girl" and "boy" toys, they preferred pink and sparkly. My niece would always choose pink Lego over any other Lego. And my son always preferred Ben 10 over Barbie and trucks over dolls. He also loved to wear nail polish to play group when he was younger. PS. gorgeouskid: My son is now 10 and he LOVES wearing pink and purple clothes. He headed off to school this morning in his lilac shorts (it's free dress day today, no uniform.) Luckily clothing manufacturers make a decent selection of boys clothes in these colours.
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Aug 12, 2015 2:55:38 GMT
I'll leave this here. We have gone backwards, not forward. This should have not happened to begin with. Our little girls want pink, but they are taught from birth that that is what they SHOULD want. They are conditioned to desire those things. Good for Target.
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bayoulj
Shy Member
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Sept 7, 2014 5:43:52 GMT
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Post by bayoulj on Aug 12, 2015 3:02:19 GMT
Target makes me sick
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raindancer
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Post by raindancer on Aug 12, 2015 3:15:44 GMT
okay....thanks for sharing?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 3:28:15 GMT
This is about clothing in particular, but an interesting look at the history of colors for children. Link to whole article
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Post by gmcwife1 on Aug 12, 2015 3:28:25 GMT
I could care less. I didn't even know the toy aisles were labeled "girl" and "boy." I didn't either and none of my kids ever questioned them either.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 3:28:51 GMT
What an insightful, thoughtful contribution to the conversation. Thanks!
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georgiapea
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Post by georgiapea on Aug 12, 2015 3:33:36 GMT
Really! If I want to buy a doll I think I can find the right area without a pink sign? So what do they do with the Legos? Part are in the pink section and part in the blue section? Their getting with the program is long overdue.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 3:35:13 GMT
im all for it, however it does make me wonder why target even announced it? why not just make the change
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Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 12, 2015 3:53:13 GMT
They're still going to put all the Barbies together, right? And the Lego toys? So really all that's changing is how they're labeling the aisles. Much ado about nothing, IMO. We were just in Target last week buying a birthday present for the little neighbor twins and it looked like they were resetting the Lego aisles. I was looking for the giant Mega Bloks and noticed that on one side of the aisle they had all the "boy" Lego sets (Star Wars, etc.) and on the back side of that aisle were the "girl" Lego sets (Disney Princess, Lego Friends, Elves) in the next aisle. It would have made more sense to me to have ALL of the Lego sets down a single aisle on shelving facing each other. It was just weird. In the Lego store itself at the Mall of America it's all broken down by theme. My favorite is the Pick a Brick wall, you can't get any more generic than that.
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AmeliaBloomer
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Aug 12, 2015 3:55:01 GMT
Even in the twenty years since my kids were born, "girls' toys" have gotten pinker. I don't get it.
And the Lego thing is stupid. I bet lots of boys are interested in the themes of the "girl" sets, but dismiss them because of the colors.
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