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Original poster

Would anyone like to join in an effort to convince retailers to stop categorizing toys by gender?

999 replies

OneHandWavingFree · 19/11/2012 00:06

Following on from this thread and similar ones, a few of us are interested in discussing ways to send a message to retailers that it is not acceptable to designate 'boys' and 'girls' toy aisles which reinforce the message that science and adventure are "boys stuff", while girls should be primarily occupied with looking 'sexy' or practicing for domestic drudgery.

The first steps might be to draft a letter and identify a few retailers to target for an email campaign. Other ideas of how to get the message across are very welcome too, though.

Would anyone like to join in?

OP posts:
fuzzpig · 28/11/2012 00:11

I think I was the 100th :o or possibly 101st...

Fantastic page :)

MurderOfGoths · 28/11/2012 00:06

I think that's a damn good start for the first day, Wine here's to keeping the momentum going!

MrsMushroom · 28/11/2012 00:05

Wine well done to you all for starting this. Am v pleased to be here and to see what happens!

aufaniae · 28/11/2012 00:04

Yay! Congratulations everyone! Grin

Mmmmm even virtual Wine tastes good! Grin

MurderOfGoths · 28/11/2012 00:02

Woop! 101!

Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 28/11/2012 00:01

101 !! Wine Wine Wine all around (you too, preggers :) )

Well done everyone!

OP posts:
Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 27/11/2012 23:57

feeling a bit parched... maybe if we bump the thread..

OP posts:
MurderOfGoths · 27/11/2012 23:56

One more to go...

aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:56
aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:51

Ooh, nearly there!

aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:47

I'm off the booze as upduffed!

I'll definitely join you in a virtual Wine though, I can have as much as I like of that Grin

MurderOfGoths · 27/11/2012 23:47

If you can harness the power of twitter you can get a lot done. So fingers crossed.

MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:46

Ooh! Twitter! Grin The great voice of the people. They were saying on Radio 4 the other day that Twitter affords ordinary people more power than any other form of media ever has before.

Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 27/11/2012 23:45

Oooh 98 'Likes' :)

I'm standing by with Wine to toast #100! Would anyone like to join me?

OP posts:
MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:44

Oh right...thank you OneHand I've put the surveys in my watch list to do tomorrow.

I'm a bit full on about all this so will have plenty of fodder.

Yes...I see why you're tackling the signs first. They CAN just take the buggers down can't they? unless I do it for them

MurderOfGoths · 27/11/2012 23:43

We should set up a Twitter account, is there a campaign specific email to sign up with? Or shall I just set it up on one of mine? I'm going to try and link it up to the FB page so it updates automatically.

Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 27/11/2012 23:39

MrsMushroom I'm so glad you joined us! Please get involved with the surveys - the things you've noticed about Sainsbury's search results is exactly the kind of thing we're trying to highlight.

You're right about the overt signposts and the pink/blue coding being two aspects of the exact same issue, of course. It's true we're starting with the most overt way in which retailers segregate toys by gender (with the signs), because we think it's the argument least likely to get sidetracked into a "but what's wrong with pink" type debate. Also, it's completely in the retailer's control and can be changed overnight, whereas the pinkification issue will have to target merchandisers, advertisers, parents, etc. as well so it's a bigger project. We'd like to build some momentum with the removal of gendered signposts as our first success!

But we are tracking colour coding on the survey too, and the results will inform our next steps. :)

OP posts:
aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:39

"It shows that even HUGE retailers can have a disparity in their online marketing and their high street."

Yes, really interesting. I hadn't expected it either, not sure why!

MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:35

Yes, I expect their online team is different to the one that arranges things in the shops. Interesting how they can't make the two similar. It shows that even HUGE retailers can have a disparity in their online marketing and their high street.

aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:32

MrsMushroom oh that's a real shame about the Sainsbury's website! They've got it so right in my local store.

Their web designers need to take a leaf out of their own store designers' book!

I feel hopeful that Mumsnet will get behind us, it's a great campaign. :)

MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:31

Sainsbury's Girls Pretend Play Section

Boys Section

Apparently the only thing boys are bothered about pretending to be is a doctor!

MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:29

Aufaniae I wonder how they'll react when asked about it! Grin Do you think they'll get behind it?

MrsMushroom · 27/11/2012 23:28

Sainsbury's are a bad example. On their website they have Girls and Boys sections...the girls section has FOUR items under the "construction" sub-title and the boys section has NINETY EIGHT.

The girls construction toys are pink lego. The boys get the rest.

aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:26

MrsMushroom not yet. You are witnessing the birth of a new campaign!

AFAIK no one's spoken to mumsnet about becoming official yet, but it's on the to do list Grin

aufaniae · 27/11/2012 23:24

To see how it could be, have a look at a shop which does it already, like Sainsbury's for example. I've never noticed till I looked today, but they have everything sorted by theme.

So they have a home toys theme for example (my words, not sure what they call it). It contains cooking / kitchen play sets and tea sets in bright colours (not pink!) alongside tool sets and doctors' kist in the same colours. They're all aimed at pre-schoolers I imagine, and it makes sense.
Here's a not very good picture! (Sorry was paying more attention to DS than what I was taking pictures of!)