With her 3-year-old daughter sitting inside a red Target shopping cart, Aya Khalil looked through the aisles with anticipation. The author was on a mission: See for herself that her children's book about a boy and his grandmother baking for an Islamic feast was actually carried by her local Target store in Toledo.
鈥淥h my God! ... It鈥檚 right there,鈥 Khalil said on spotting 鈥淭he Night Before Eid."
鈥淥h yeaaaaah!鈥 her daughter joyously exclaimed. Khalil giggled.
For Khalil, it was a pinch-me moment as an author -- and also a big deal as a mother.
鈥淭his didn鈥檛 happen when I was growing up. It was like, 鈥楢re things really changing now?鈥欌 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just really happy that now my own kids will be able to see that and that they鈥檒l know that their stories are valid and ... are out there like a totally normal thing.鈥
For this year鈥檚 Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which started last week, Target rolled out its first dedicated Ramadan and Eid collection, including decoration kits with crescent and lantern-shaped cutouts. It鈥檚 one of the latest signs of big retailers in the United States catering to Muslim shoppers' needs.
Many Muslim Americans enthusiastically welcomed the recognition, applauding retailers that are making it easier for them to bring their families the cheer that ubiquitously and publicly marks some other faiths鈥 holidays.
鈥淎s stores have accommodated for Easter and Christmas for centuries, I鈥檓 glad to see them bring in Ramadan items,鈥 said Hass Beydoun of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. 鈥淲e welcome it, because they are welcoming our culture and beliefs in their stores.鈥
Others echoed the sentiment on Target鈥檚 website: 鈥淭hank you so much for making Ramadan decor mainstream,鈥 one shopper wrote. 鈥淲e feel seen and heard!鈥 wrote another.
Still, some have been debating the merits of buying Ramadan decor from big box retailers in America, where Muslims make up of the population, to encourage representation, versus supporting small, Muslim-owned businesses that have made such items. Some others caution against excessively commercializing a religious period.
Ramadan is , increased worship and charity. It鈥檚 often a time for festive gatherings; on social media, some share photos of their decorated homes or swap ideas for DIY Ramadan decor and children's activities. Ramadan is followed by the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Target鈥檚 new Ramadan and Eid collection is sold online and in a few hundred stores in areas with numerous Muslim shoppers. The retailer, which didn鈥檛 provide sales figures, said it received positive feedback from shoppers and that the collection is part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Party supplies retailer Party City started selling Ramadan and Eid items in 2018 and has since increased such products amid growing demand. More than 280 stores, particularly in locations with large Muslim populations, carry the items, which include lantern string lights and table runners reading 鈥淩amadan Mubarak,鈥 or 鈥淏lessed Ramadan.鈥
鈥淥ur goal is to offer authentic and inclusive celebration options to all of our customers, particularly those who are underrepresented in the retail industry,鈥 said Susan Sanderson, Party City's senior vice president of brand marketing.
Walmart Inc., the nation鈥檚 largest retailer, said it recently started carrying items related to Ramadan and Eid but the merchandise is sold only online, not in stores.
Still, that鈥檚 a change from when Jomana Siddiqui received an Eid present in Christmas gift wrap in 2011; at the time, Siddiqui, whose business is based in Fullerton, California, said she didn鈥檛 see American retailers carrying merchandise for Ramadan or Eid. She tried to get malls and stores to put up signage acknowledging the Muslim holy days but was rebuffed.
From 2014 to 2016, she worked with Macy鈥檚 at South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa, California, to design the display towers with 鈥淗appy Ramadan鈥 signs for an event. In 2018, she started selling her own items at a pop-up shop at Macy鈥檚 in Westminster, California.
Even now, Siddiqui is struggling to convince major retailers to sell her modern-style items like 鈥淩amadan Blessings鈥 platters -- and Ramadan and Eid-appropriate gift wrap sheets. She contends many retailers treat American Muslims, who are racially and culturally diverse, as a monolith and says they should avoid cultural stereotypes.
鈥淧utting camels and palm trees on something doesn鈥檛 speak to Indonesian Muslims or a Mexican Muslim,鈥 she said.
Fatima Siddiqui, who lives in the metro Detroit area and owns a calligraphy art business, wrote on Facebook that amid the excitement at retailers carrying Ramadan decorations, community members shouldn鈥檛 forget to support Muslim-owned small businesses.
Responses varied. Some shoppers said that while supporting such businesses is important, so is buying from the big, national ones to encourage more representation and for Muslim children to feel celebrated. Others argued that decorations offered by many of the small businesses were often expensive or that big retailers were more accessible. Others suggested buying from both.
鈥淲hy wouldn鈥檛 retailers partner up with small businesses to showcase their products that are handcrafted with thoughtful meanings?鈥 said Fatima Siddiqui. This year, she organized a Ramadan market in Canton, Michigan, where vendors sold items including banners, wreaths and serving trays.
鈥淩amadan decor boosts our excitement and mood,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t helps our younger generation feel special because of the obvious displays of Christmas and other non-Islamic holidays.鈥
The decor can spark educational conversations with non-Muslims, said Yasmen Bagh, who lives in Jersey City and has founded a business selling outdoor inflatables in such shapes as mosques and lanterns.
鈥淚t brings awareness to your neighbors,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he images that they see on TV and what Muslims look like is usually like a bad guy; it鈥檚 changing that.鈥
Bagh is conflicted about big retailers stepping into the Ramadan and Eid space. 鈥淎s a Muslim, it makes me happy; as a business owner, it makes me worry.鈥
Some other business owners say there鈥檚 room for everyone. And while some Muslims argue a focus on decor and other material items can distract from the month's spiritual essence, others say a balance can be struck and that the products help children get engaged.
Mainstream retailers have gradually paid more attention to Muslim customers. Macy鈥檚 sells modest wear, including hijabs. in 2017, sparking mixed reactions and a discussion about inclusivity in sports. Other activewear brands followed with their own athletic hijabs. Since 2021, Mattel鈥檚 American Girl brand has been selling an Eid al-Fitr celebration outfit, which includes a long-sleeved turquoise abaya dress, for its 18-inch dolls.
The move to embrace Muslim shoppers is part of a broader strategy by retailers to better connect with increasingly diverse generations of customers. Some critics dismiss the effort as a marketing tactic to boost the bottom line.
Sabiha Ansari, co-founder and vice president at American Muslim Consumer Consortium, a nonprofit dedicated to developing the American Muslim consumer market, said she doesn鈥檛 mind whether the goal is to make a dollar. She鈥檚 just happy companies are embracing products catering to Muslims.
鈥淧eople want to be recognized,鈥 she said.
Back in Toledo, Khalil, the author, said her book is, first, for the Muslim children and, even adults, who haven鈥檛 seen themselves in books. It tells the story of Zain, who helps his grandmother who is visiting from Egypt, where Khalil was born, bake traditional cookies covered in powdered sugar for the feast. He shares the treats with his classmates, who love them.
For this Ramadan, Khalil spruced up her home with lights, lanterns and signs, mostly from small businesses. Her kids also painted a craft kit鈥攖hat one was bought from Target.
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Associated Press reporter Mike Householder in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, contributed.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
