In 1971, Duane Colglazier and Bill Rifkin established The Pleasure Chest’s first retail store, nestled in the heart of New York’s bohemian West Village during the height of America’s sexual revolution. Colglazier and Rifkin originally set out to sell waterbeds in The Pleasure Chest’s modest 47-by-12-foot space. As the convergence of sex, sexuality, gender liberation and LGBTQ+ rights flourished into a social movement, the two founding fathers eventually expanded the store’s product selection to include cock rings, handcuffs and mood lighting to service the progressive community of West Village creatives and free thinkers.
For 50 years, The Pleasure Chest has continued to honor its humble roots by remaining dedicated to sexual expression, gender inclusivity, and the LGBTQ+ community. Today, the retail chain maintains its reputation as a beloved institution throughout its Los Angeles, New York and Chicago neighborhoods, as well as within the adult retail industry.
Many people wouldn't imagine that The Pleasure Chest would be proudly located two blocks north of Bloomingdale's and two blocks east of stores like Hermes, Tom Ford and Baccarat on Madison Avenue.
Despite all the forward momentum over the last five decades, however, The Pleasure Chest was not impervious to the effects of the pandemic. Once the record needle stopped and the world went into lockdown, many adult retailers established new avenues to remain engaged with their customers by getting creative with existing resources. The Pleasure Chest was no exception. The company was able to successfully navigate many challenges, including interruptions to delivering the premium, education-centric retail shopping experience the stores are known for.
In the wake of the pandemic, the industry is at yet another turning point, with sex toys becoming more widely available in mainstream stores such as Bloomingdale’s and Sephora and big-box retailers like Walmart. With industry opinion still pretty much split on the big-box retailer debate, The Pleasure Chest acknowledges that exposure for sex toys in mainstream retail can ultimately benefit both consumers and retailers in the sexual wellness space. However, the company went through a careful decision-making process when debating whether or not to offer mainstream-prominent brands in its brick-and-mortar stores, and on its ecommerce website.
Meanwhile, The Pleasure Chest continues to pursue uncharted territory, including an ad in New York’s Times Square and as the first adult retail store in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago — breaking ground once again, much like its early days as the new kid on the block in the West Village.
Era by era, from the sexual revolution to the post-pandemic evolution, disco, glam rock, grunge and beyond, these pioneers of pleasure can certainly attest to what a long, strange trip it's been.
Below, Pleasure Chest staffers reflect on the company’s 50-year legacy, unexpected opportunities throughout COVID — and the exciting new ventures they are dabbling in to take pleasure to an entirely new level.
XBIZ: In the five decades that Pleasure Chest has been around, how has the adult retail experience evolved?
Brian Robinson (Owner): Toys, toys and more toys! In 1971, my uncle opened the first Pleasure Chest store in New York's West Village with his business partner. When I started working with Pleasure Chest stores in the mid ’90s, most toys were still in clamshell packaging with semi-pornographic and very gendered imagery. It was also hard to make the sales floor visually inviting. In addition, there was the rubber smell that we just couldn't get rid of because of phthalates that were in most products. Sex toy functionality has also improved since then. Vibrator features were limited to speed variations and not much more. Now, sex toys are more advanced, stylish and sleek than they used to be. Many of them look like they could be an art piece that can be displayed for its beauty. Interest and demand have really changed from consumers because product design has evolved to appeal to customers and inspire more creative minds. If a sex toy brand can incorporate inclusivity, unique aesthetics, fantasy elements and sophistication, they will likely be cherished among consumers.
XBIZ: How have customers’ demands for quality become more sophisticated?
IonaPearl Reid-Eaton (Junior Buyer): I think that the pandemic has made customers more conscious of the quality of materials of their products, and they want to get the most bang for their buck. When the Womanizer Eco was initially released, we had many customers asking us what other recyclable toy options were available, so there's an evolving demand for eco-friendly products. Experiencing a global pandemic has helped underscore the importance of sanitizing — not just your surfaces, also your sex toys!
XBIZ: The Pleasure Chest recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Congratulations! Did you mark the occasion with a special celebration, tribute or promotions?
Ruth Arceo (Director of Operations and Purchasing): 50 years was an exciting milestone to reach last year! We had plans to throw an in-person event but with COVID surges, it was best to play it safe and do it all virtual. During the last half of the anniversary month, we donated 15% of our vibrator sales to Gay For Good with over $25,000 in donation funds that will continue to support our communities. Not only that, but our owner Brian managed to get an ad up in Times Square to celebrate the anniversary! It was amazing to see that, and pique folks' interest to visit our N.Y. stores. On top of all of that, our team created weekly TikTok videos, blog posts and held three virtual workshops throughout our anniversary month! The workshops featured Pleasure Chest sex educator Bahar alongside Midori, Lora DiCarlo and Goddexx Cherub. Our wonderful partners at Vibratex, WOW Tech, Lora DiCarlo, Doc Johnson and Fun Factory provided raffle prizes for each store location, as well as social media giveaways.
XBIZ: In what ways has Pleasure Chest stayed true to its roots while also staying competitive in today’s digital world? How will it stay competitive as more mainstream retailers embrace pleasure products?
Arceo: It was definitely a learning curve at the beginning of COVID as we tried to navigate how to move forward in the digital world. We've always had an online presence, but we needed to retain our audience through a new channel as everyone stayed home. Pleasure Chest offered in-store workshops pre-pandemic and that is something our followers would request in our DMs during the pandemic, such as “When are workshops coming back?” Like most novelty retailers, we started to deep-dive into Zoom and TikTok trends to figure out what would work best for us while incorporating our staff sex educators.
This year, we are partnering with Nalpac and a few of our top vendors like Vibratex, WOW Tech and COTR to bring more incentives and GWPs to in-store and online customers. While mainstream retailers have added sex toys to their product selection, the category isn’t something they are heavily promoting. It’s safe to say that we are maintaining the upper hand in this space. I think most customers who are curious about trying new toys may prefer to go to an adult retailer for the knowledge rather than just buying what they see at Target.
XBIZ: How does social media play a role in driving shoppers to Pleasure Chest stores?
Bahar Baharloo (Store Manager): One of the main things that differentiates The Pleasure Chest from other shops is our sex education programming, and after the pandemic, social media is the main way that we can continue to offer that to the community, free of charge. Free, accessible classes promote and normalize questions that have historically been mysterious or taboo and encourage folks to try new things they didn't even know existed! Another big part of social media is giveaways — nothing creates more of a buzz and excitement than winning something brand new!
XBIZ: What recent milestones is the company celebrating?
Robinson: We're so proud to have moved into our newest location on Lexington Avenue and 62nd Street in New York. Most people wouldn't guess that The Pleasure Chest is located two blocks north of Bloomingdale's and two blocks east of stores like Hermes, Tom Ford and Baccarat on Madison Avenue. I call us “Madison adjacent.” I think that a combination of the mass exodus with businesses during the pandemic and finding a landlord who believed in our mission gave us a huge boost. In April of 2021, we moved our Chicago store to a busy retail corridor in Wicker Park filled with restaurants, bars and tons of retail shops. Prior to this, a sex toy store had never existed in the neighborhood. Even during the upheaval of the pandemic, opportunities popped up for us when they may not have before.
XBIZ: How did the Pleasure Chest navigate through the pandemic? How has it impacted the in-store experience?
Baharloo: We definitely felt a dip in foot traffic, especially during our workshop hiatus. We used to have comedy shows, live podcasts and book signings, so a lot of the events that brought folks into the store changed the nature of the community. In the same vein, when folks come into the store, the connection we make feels a lot deeper — a lot of interactions feel like personal workshops! Our brand-new location in the Upper East Side has seen so many more folks stopping in just to see what we're about, and most of the time they leave with something new they've never tried before.
XBIZ: What goals and plans for expansion does The Pleasure Chest have for the rest of 2022 and beyond?
Robinson: We're still trying to bounce back to our pre-pandemic level of business in a more efficient manner. Gone are the 16-hour days of store operations in a single day. We are looking to achieve recovery in a slow, methodical way. By the end of this year, we will be opening up PleasureMed, a cannabis dispensary in West Hollywood right next to The Pleasure Chest! In fact, both will be sharing a parking lot. Additionally, we will have Irie, a cannabis lounge that seats 130 people. The back of Irie will feature an outdoor space with a bar/restaurant with a full liquor license to accommodate 50 guests. They will all be part of our 6,500-square-foot “Pleasure Campus,” if you will. There are so many potential activities and things to do on an experiential level, which is a great counter to the last two years. Expanding into entertaining and dining will have its learning curves, and we are coming out with a bang.
