VANCOUVER — Online adult retailer PinkCherry has compiled its annual list of the top sex toy purchases per capita across Canada — and came up with some unexpected results.
Topping the list was Kentville, N.S., Colwood, B.C., and Fort McMurray, Alta., which to Statesiders means Timbucktu.
PinkCherry CEO Dan Freedman said popular culture made a "monumental difference" in his industry, referencing the ubiquitous “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy (and soon-to-release movie).
"Obviously the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ phenomenon kind of boosted everybody's business in sort of a light bondage-y way," Freedman said while guesting on CBC Radio's “All Points West” show on Vancouver Island. "You know, handcuffs and restraints and blind folds, and that kind of thing."
Celebrities like Oprah and Dr. Laura Berman have also possibly helped with the mainstreaming of adult products. Freedman believes when role models like this discuss sex toys in front of a large audience, it inspires "regular people" to be more adventurous.
Freedman discussed one more trend with CBC Radio, which he called "premium products."
"People are starting to realize that they want to pay extra money to get more body-friendly products," he said. "The market is definitely going upscale."
To check out the full list of the top 25 "sexiest" cities in Canada, as well as listen to Freedman’s interview with CBC, click here.