What stories can numbers tell? If you're Phoebe Grott, an Excel spreadsheet has a lot to say about how folks have sex and what tools they'll grab to make the experience even better.
As national purchasing director for The Pleasure Chest stores, Grott was already equipped with a number-loving brain, ready to nerd out on whatever data this smarty-pants could get her hands on. However, what she didn't anticipate was developing an intuition for reading in between the lines of sex toy product specs.
We need to ensure that we are not outpacing our customer base, but continuing to focus on meeting them where they are in their journey each step of the way.
Years after earning her industry veteran status, Grott now knows the importance of using both sides of her brain when betting on The Pleasure Chest's next top-selling toy. After all, she's responsible for stocking the shelves of one of the industry's longest-running boutiques, and one of the first to claim inclusive status.
The Pleasure Chest has long prided itself on being an LGBTQ-friendly, empowering and all-around comfortable place for any human to pop in and learn what makes their sexy parts tick. Grott's gig is to make sure shoppers can find exactly what they need.
XBIZ: When did you know you were going to land in the pleasure space?
Grott: As a kid I didn’t think to myself, “I’m going to be a sex toy buyer when I grow up,” or even a retail buyer for that matter. But this career found me, and in retrospect it’s actually not that surprising. I got my degree in Women's Studies with a focus in health and policy and minored in Legal Studies at UC Santa Cruz. Upon graduation, I used the degree to work for a non-profit women's health lobbyist in Washington D.C. I returned home to Oakland, California and started working in a local cafe while figuring out what to do next. There I met Rachel Venning, co-founder of Babeland. When I saw a position for a location purchaser for Babeland, I applied and unbeknownst to Rachel came in for an interview. I ran into Rachel on the way out and as much as I’d like to think that I got the job on my own merit, knowing the way the boss takes their coffee probably didn't hurt!
XBIZ: How did your career unfold from there, and what unique talents did you contribute to your job position?
Grott: I'm a data nerd. I get off on looking at the numbers and seeing what stories they tell. But a piece of buying is intuitive. A good buyer just knows what's going to work and what’s a total flop. When supporting new trends and building the assortment, I lean on my training and ask the following: Does this work for the intended user? Can you figure out how to derive pleasure without having to read a 20-page manual? And most importantly, would I use this? But really, why I enjoy this job and where I derive my achievements from, is working alongside our industry manufacturers for mutual growth and success. Because when we are successful, we are reaching more people and creating more pleasure in the world together.
XBIZ: What really stands out in your mind about those initial years in our rather unique industry?
Grott: Oh gosh, probably trying so many different toys. It's like working in an ice cream shop, when you first get the job you try every flavor and overload on free samples, just to come to the conclusion that your favorite flavor is vanilla — though mine is actually Cherry Garcia.
XBIZ: Have you meandered through various job positions throughout your sex toy career, like so many of us have?
Grott: It's unusual that I didn't start out on the sales floor, but I've held about every role in purchasing and moonlighted on warehouse shifts. In each of these roles I have brought my A game and put the best interest of the business at the core of my work. There have been projects that I am incredibly proud of and also hard lessons that had to be learned through doing. Ultimately I strive to be respectful and listen, to learn from those who come before us, and create a foundation for collaborative wins.
XBIZ: Who keeps you continuously inspired in your industry family?
Grott: I've had the pleasure of working with many of the industry leaders over the years that have supported me throughout my career. I am also inspired and motivated by the queer- and POC-owned and led businesses that I have the opportunity to work alongside of to continue to expand access and representation in the adult industry.
XBIZ: Now for the million-dollar question: Why do you love working at The Pleasure Chest?
Grott: The Pleasure Chest is incredibly supportive of their team members and has fostered a strong community that is reflected in the events, partnerships and customer base. I’m enjoying supporting this mission through the daily operations of the purchasing department and getting creative with the manufacturer partnerships.
XBIZ: How has your life changed since becoming a fully indoctrinated member of the pleasure products community? Humorous stories welcome, of course!
Grott: A great sense of humor goes a long way in this industry, but I’ll tell a story about myself just to be safe. Still pretty new in the industry, I had the most recent copy of an industry mag that I wanted to read. I was heading to the gym and figured that I might as well read it on the treadmill. Well, I get two pages in and realized that every page is an explicit advertisement. I was just so used to seeing this level of content that I stopped seeing it, and here I am speed-flipping through the pages trying to get to the articles while the person on the machine next to me is pretending that they are not looking over my shoulder. That’s the moment I knew that I had lost my filter; the adult biz had become entirely normalized. I swear I was just reading the articles!
XBIZ: What positive changes have you observed throughout your time in the biz?
Grott: The sophistication of the products and the quality of the materials has changed radically since I started — this is such a positive change for the consumers and is also great for customer retention. The move away from segmenting toys as “for women” or “for men” has had a positive impact on selling by expanding the demographic of users and being more inclusive to LGBTQI+ communities. There are also more independent and innovative companies in the marketplace holding their own as manufacturers and being supported by retailers, which encourages diversity in the product range.
In looking to the future, the mainstream retail trends still apply to us — ecommerce growth, globalization, omni-channel selling. However, sex toys remain an incredibly intimate purchase, and as an industry we need to ensure that we are not outpacing our customer base, but continuing to focus on meeting them where they are in their journey each step of the way.
XBIZ: What awesomeness can we expect to see from The Pleasure Chest in the near future?
Grott: I've worked adjacent with The Pleasure Chest for years and have a great respect for the business. Approaching its 50th anniversary, The Pleasure Chest is a unique blend of a heritage brand, with the growing pains of a startup. It's going to be an exciting challenge to see how we expand the mission, events and wellness offerings to a new audience with the opening of PleasureMed, our sister cannabis business in West Hollywood, at the end of this year.
Each month, industry news media organization XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.
