Amazon has kept quiet about the move, apparently hoping to repeat the rewards of selling sex-related products without any of the negative side-effects, such as bad publicity.
The company also has tucked away the new sex division within its Health and Personal Care section, making it less likely that casual surfers will stumble upon it.
“It’s just another of our selections for customers in all categories,” Amazon spokesperson Patty Smith said. “Whatever you want to buy, you would be able to find it on Amazon.”
While Smith acknowledged the site has been selling sex products for about two years, she said the volume and range of products has increased dramatically in recent months, prompting Amazon to give them their own virtual corner of the site.
Rather than carrying products in its warehouses, Amazon is offering most through its third-party reseller program. Nearly 300 companies are taking part, with one distributor alone, Seakap Enterprises, offering more than 15,000 products.
Smith said Amazon is carefully reviewing imagery companies supply and will not allow any nudity. Descriptions of the items “cannot contain profanity or graphic adult language,” she added.
Amazon in the past has boasted a liberal return policy, but is not allowing returns on many of the items — including best-sellers such as condoms and lubricants — due to their personal nature. But Sex and Sensuality section does make use of popular interactive features found on other Amazon sections, including user recommendations and reviews.
The Sex and Sensuality sub-section currently is available only on the U.S. version of Amazon.