Big W shoppers are furious after the popular department store quietly changed the layout of the children’s clothing section.
The Aussie retailer updated all 177 stores by rearranging shelves based on size and age instead of gender.
Stores have grouped together sizes 1-7 and 8-16, with many parents claiming there’s no clear distinction between the ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ offerings.
The decision has frustrated parents who now find it ‘near impossible’ to quickly find items their kids prefer to wear.
‘Can I just say the new kids clothing layout is horrible! Some girls clothes, some boys clothes then a mixture,’ one shopper wrote on Facebook.
‘I hate it! I mean my girls often wore “boys clothes” as they liked dinosaurs and the like and never really liked the girly things like fairies and princesses. But at least I knew where to find them. Having them mixed is annoying and only done to please a minority,’ another mum wrote.
‘This is especially frustrating as girls clothes are traditionally a slightly smaller size, so if they are going this way then the sizing needs to be reviewed so it’s appropriate,’ one more added.
Others, however, said they preferred the new layouts as their kids weren’t ‘stereotypical’ in their clothing preferences.
‘I love it! As someone who shops on both gendered sections, everything is in one place and much more accessible,’ one wrote.
‘It’s great. My son’s worn girl shirts all his life sometimes it’s hard to find cats and specific characters he loves in boys and now he doesn’t need to feel awkward looking at them or double checking with me pink isn’t a girls colour like the boys at school tell him,’ another mum said.
Despite the backlash, a Big W spokesperson told FEMAIL the change was made after listening to feedback from customers.
‘We have recently changed our navigational signage in some stores to make it easier for families to shop for kids’ clothing,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Our kids’ clothes are still ranged by gender, but we have introduced age groups so a customer who is looking for clothes for a 1-7 year old, can look in one place.
‘We made this change as a result of customer feedback on their preferred ways to shop. We are always listening and learning and continue to welcome feedback.’
