Sex sells – despite hard times.
As global crisis in economy forces many businesses to feel the plague, the sex toy industry on the contrary is heating up both online and in store. From Web behemoth Amazon to Brooklyn boutique store Shag, sales of an increasing range of sexual accessories are on the rise.
Sam Bard, 36, co founder of Shag in Williamsburg last December claimed that almost every customer is thankful enough for the opening of the shop telling her that it’s about time. She claimed that the sale of each month always surpasses the last. The shop covers and sells every sexy item among them the vintage handcuffs, body paints and even hosts sex-themed events such as “introductory lessons in rope-bondage.”
Bard believes the recession helped the business, which opened on Roebling St., considered low for the gentrified neighborhood.
She rationalized that with the rather unstable economy today; more couples prefer to stay at home to save money, such that instead of spending cash for a one-time dinner, they would rather spend the money equivalent to a more practical item as sex toy that they can use indefinitely.
With customers satisfaction, comes the realization that the prize of this toy is insignificant in as far as the growth of sexual relationship is concerned. One user, 40-year old Heather, admits that despite being on a tight budget, both she and her boyfriend indulge in a $150 worth of “his and her” vibrator.
Babeland, a sex accessories store with three outlets in the city makes half of its sales from their online store. In 2009, it recorded a 13% surge in sales and 18% spike in online visitors. Company spokeswoman Pamela Doan claimed that New Yorkers attributed for the highest percentage of their online sales.
Meanwhile, even household company names are joining the bandwagon. Amazon for instance launched its Sexual Wellness page in 2003 with 338 items more particularly condoms and lubricants. Soon after, it started to market more adventurous products as restraints, vibrators and flavored lubricants.
Charmaine Diploa, Amazon’s spokeswoman claimed the company has seen this category grow quite significantly over the last two years. Currently, the company stocks about 60,000 items, with adult toys and games getting the highest share.
A current week's best-selling products were the "Magic Wand Massager" - a nonphallic vibrator - and "Doc Johnson Lucid Dream #5" - a multispeed waterproof stimulator.
Amazon reckons that discretion, which calls for a unique brand of customer’s convenience, is the secret weapon to its sudden rise in sales. With its manner of discretion, customers receive an Amazon box and no one needs to know what's inside other than that customer. Moreover, availing a number of products all in one place is something the customers are in fact so like about.
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