Feature Articles

opinion

How Gen Z Is Reshaping Pleasure Product Marketing

Gen Z is breaking the customer funnel, and it’s exactly what we need. In the past, figuring out customers’ purchasing habits, both in-store and digital, was relatively straightforward. But Gen Z’s priorities are completely different from those of their predecessors, and so are their shopping habits.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

A Look at the Serious Business of Novelties in Retail

Adult retailers put a lot of thought into the products they carry. They want to offer customers high-quality sex toys with the latest technology and features, plus a robust selection of condoms and lubricants — all at competitive prices.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

Retailer Online Engagement Strategies for Pride Month

Pride month is more than a celebration; it is a platform for advocacy, inclusivity and community empowerment. As we celebrate Pride month in June, therefore, it is essential for the pleasure industry to engage with the queer community by embracing thoughtful digital marketing initiatives that resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences.

Verna Meng ·
opinion

A Deep Dive Into 'Shallowing' Sex Toys

The term “Shallowing” refers to engaging only in shallow penetration of the vagina, and/or stimulating the vaginal opening and the few centimeters inside of it, rather than deeper penetration and trying to stimulate the G-spot or A-spot.

Carly S. ·
opinion

Which Tech Should Retail Businesses Consider Outsourcing?

Since technology is the backbone of almost any retail business nowadays, one of the biggest challenges adult retailers encounter is making sure they have the right technology stack and staff needed to support growth.

Sean Quinn ·
profile

WIA Profile: Rebecca Buffham

Rebecca Buffham’s Women in Adult profile could not have arrived with more perfect timing. The U.K.-based sales executive is marking a full decade with pleasure brand JO. Ten years in the pleasure industry would be cause enough for celebration, but 10 years with the same company?

Women In Adult ·
profile

Ball & Chain Founder Dawn Phillips Reflects on Company's Roots

The niche of bedroom and bachelorette games is a surprisingly popular yet often unexplored sector of the pleasure industry. Developing and manufacturing mischievous adult play products that don’t require batteries or a charging cable seems to require a certain special creative spark.

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

Amy Baldwin, April Lampert Bring Podcast to Print in Debut Sex-Ed Book

Sex educators April Lampert and Amy Baldwin, whose winding, interwoven pleasure industry paths have now culminated with the debut of their first book, “Shameless Sex: Choose Your Own Pleasure Path to Unlock the Sex Life You’ve Been Waiting For.”

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

How Retailers Can Challenge Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Masturbation

Masturbation is a natural and healthy aspect of human sexuality, yet it is often surrounded by stigma and misinformation. Fortunately, adult retailers can play a crucial role in reshaping the narrative surrounding masturbation and creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for customers.

Verna Meng ·
opinion

A Look at the Wide World of Sex Toy Controls

When we talk about sex toy innovation, a lot of the conversation centers around means of stimulation. Yet while buzzing, thumping and sucking are certainly important, they are not the be-all and end-all of product advancement.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
opinion

Affiliate Partnerships Tips for Boosting Pleasure Brands' Digital Presence

If you work in the adult industry, you probably know that affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where individuals promote a brand’s products or services and receive commissions for each confirmed sale or referred customer.

Lauren Bailey ·
opinion

Tips for Leveraging Customer Behavior to Boost Upsells

You’re at a fast-food place, ready to order a cheeseburger, when suddenly the cashier reels you in with a brilliant suggestion: Why not add fries and a drink for only a few extra bucks? That’s upselling: a common sales technique where a seller encourages a customer to purchase additional items or upgrades to enhance their original purchase.

Carly S. ·
opinion

How Sustainability Yields ROI for Pleasure Brands and Their Retailers

Sexual wellness brands are increasingly adopting eco-conscious and sustainable practices. Many are switching to more Earth-friendly materials, reducing packaging waste and making efforts to lower energy consumption, water consumption and carbon emissions.

Kathryn Byberg ·
trends

A Look at Diversity in Today's Pleasure Biz

As the pleasure industry has grown and evolved, so has a movement of multicultural executives, engineers and influencers challenging the status quo and working to make the sector more inclusive and representative.

profile

WIA Profile: Tori Titus-McCrobie

What happens in paradise, stays in paradise — and Tori Titus-McCrobie won’t be leaving her tropical island of career perfection anytime soon, as the longtime sales director has found her bliss selling lubricants, sex toys and condoms to fantastic folks.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Bonner Trading USA's Ian Kulp Shares His Ambitions for BSwish, Zini Brands

Last year saw the launch of Bonner Trading USA, with Jerome Bensimon, formerly of Satisfyer, at the company’s helm. With the recent addition of Ian Kulp as global sales and marketing director, the company has increased its presence in the U.S. and abroad with new distribution deals and the acquisition of pleasure brands BSwish and Zini.

Kim Airs ·
profile

Xgen Products CEO Andy Green Reflects on Company's 15 Years

Reflecting upon the past 15 years, during which XGEN Products grew from a relatively small distributor into a multi-brand manufacturer with 20 of its own brands and 3,000 items it sells worldwide, CEO Andy Green’s expression is nearly one of disbelief.

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

A Guide to Sustainable Pleasure Product Merchandising

Sustainable practices are no longer merely an option for the pleasure industry, but an imperative response to consumer expectations. Just as in other sectors, the resounding call for sustainability has reached unprecedented levels.

Eric Lee ·
opinion

Retailer Tips for STI Awareness Month

Adult retail isn’t all fun and flirty games. We love helping folks navigate pleasure and desire for themselves and with their partners, but brick-and-mortar staff are also on the front lines for myriad educational opportunities — especially in April, which is Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month.

Rin Musick ·
opinion

A Look at the Evolution of Pleasure-Enhancing Pumps

Even though the pleasure industry is famously innovative, most “new” products are still ultimately reimagined versions of previous ones. They expand on the core idea by introducing a new feature or solution that takes the original concept to a new level of sensation, functionality or convenience.

Rebecca Weinberg ·
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