Now, think like a Lego executive. Your toys are *actually* gender neutral, but they are getting shelved in the 'boy' section, literally because the colors of the legos and lego boxes correspond more obviously with blue and therefore boys colors. Not to mention there are a lot of lego toys that aren't bricks and those are often cars, trucks, military themed, etc
Hmmm, this makes it sound like the colors of the legos, the colors of the boxes, and the themes of lego toys all "happened" to Lego executives complete outside of their own volition. They are the ones who made the colors and the themes, though. They could easily have included stereotypically feminine colors and themes along with the "boy stuff". They didn't, and they chose to start marketing exclusively to boys, so it only makes sense their products got put in the boy aisles.
I'm not disagreeing with your characterization of toy merchandising, absolutely not. But I feel that Lego as a company does indeed bear a lot of the responsibility for their products ending up in the boy aisles alone.
Re: A perspective from a former merchandiser
Hmmm, this makes it sound like the colors of the legos, the colors of the boxes, and the themes of lego toys all "happened" to Lego executives complete outside of their own volition. They are the ones who made the colors and the themes, though. They could easily have included stereotypically feminine colors and themes along with the "boy stuff". They didn't, and they chose to start marketing exclusively to boys, so it only makes sense their products got put in the boy aisles.
I'm not disagreeing with your characterization of toy merchandising, absolutely not. But I feel that Lego as a company does indeed bear a lot of the responsibility for their products ending up in the boy aisles alone.