There was a campaign called ‘Let Toys Be Toys’ taken place in UK last year, which showed that some toy stores such as Toys R Us, Tesco and etc. were selling toys by gender marketing to either boys or girls. And I saw lots of people complaining about this on the Let Toys Be Toys ‘s Twitter as well. Some parents were saying that their little boy did not even look at the girl section in toy stores when they took him there. Or, the store assistant would recommend toys specifically to boys or girls.
Sources from Google.
This seems to be a really small issue in marketing ethics. But it can make a big difference in children’s live. Girls who like playing cars and trucks may be more innovative than those who like play kitchens. Boys who prefer playing with dolls or something fairy may become really careful and thoughtful in the future. You never know! Toys are not like clothes that have to be recognized or identified from the appearances. Toys are more like books that can be classified by age or content. If toy stores are no longer categorized by gender, boys and girls would have more choices that may be more suitable for them due to different personalities. I used to play with Lego when I was young and I found it exciting to build different stuff each time. Basically, children can develop their mental capabilities by playing any toys that make them happy. There is no need but want for those little kids. Therefore, there should be unlimited choices for children to pick whatever they want in the toy stores rather than tell them which one is good for them.