Target Builds a Pillowfort

Target recently launched a gender-neutral kids furniture collection dubbed Pillowfort that chief executive officer Brian Cornell believes has the potential to double the retailer's kids home business over the next three years.The lineup comprises 1,200 stuffed animals, bedding sets, pillows, “pillowy” chairs, lamps and teepees in patterns inspired by themes such as dinosaurs, the ocean, forests and space instead of the typical pink versus blue. The line presumably replaces the retailer’s Circo furniture products.In stores, a large selection of the items are merchandised across three dedicated aisles and multiple endcaps outfitted with headers that direct shoppers online for the full collection. A leaderboard ad on the target.com home page touts 20% off the collection and links to a brand shop. Visitors can browse by categories such as bedding, decor, storage and lighting. They also can browse sample rooms by choosing themes such as "camp kiddo," "ocean oasis," "creature cave" and "tropical treehouse."To celebrate the launch, Target opened a pop-up pillow fort in New York from March 4-6, inviting consumers to explore the interactive environment and the collection's products. Actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Katie Holmes as well as Target partner Camila Alves attended a launch party held within the fort. Target also plugged the line on the front cover of its March 6 circular, again touting the 20% introductory discount. Social media updates and a March 8 email blast plugged the launch. A 30-second TV spot (see below) and Pinterest page are also part of the supporting advertising campaign.Target executives note they didn’t start out with a gender agenda in mind, but are simply listening to the needs of their shoppers. "Girls like rockets and basketball. And boys like ponies. Who are we to say what a child’s individual expression is?” Target’s senior vice president of design and product development Julie Guggemos told the Star Tribune. “They’re not afraid to express who they are. We picked up on that right away and decided we were getting in our own way a little bit with some of those paradigms.”On its website, the retailer is retaining gender-based bedding search terms for Pillowfort — though there will be an overlap in the products under those two categories — as a nod to concerns around guiding shoppers to appropriate gifts that first surfaced when Target removed boys and girls directional aisle markers from its toy and bedding section. Some of the Pillowfort themes will also appear in an upcoming revamp of Target’s children’s apparel line, though the clothing will not be gender neutral. It will replace Target’s licensed Cherokee and in-house Circo brands.In related news, Target this month will begin stocking action figures, toys and apparel inspired by DC Comics' female superheroes.

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