Feature Articles
How Retail Merchandising Can Make BDSM More Accessible
opinion
How Retail Merchandising Can Make BDSM More Accessible
For years, fetish and BDSM products have occupied a complicated space in adult retail. They are often highly recognizable, visually compelling and culturally fascinating, yet easy for retailers and brands to underestimate.
How Educator Partnerships Help Retailers Serve Diverse Customer Needs
opinion
How Educator Partnerships Help Retailers Serve Diverse Customer Needs
Walk into almost any adult store today, and you can feel the industry in the middle of an upgrade. On one side, you still see the familiar wall of vibrators, strokers, bondage gear and lingerie. On the other, quietly expanding, is a growing sexual wellness category.
What Mastercard's Specialty Fee Overhaul Means for Merchants
opinion
What Mastercard's Specialty Fee Overhaul Means for Merchants
For business owners in the adult and specialty spaces, the rules have always been written in someone else’s office. The latest Mastercard changes are no exception, though there are practical ways merchants can begin preparing now.
Why AI Success in Adult Retail Starts With Understanding Daily Operations
opinion
Why AI Success in Adult Retail Starts With Understanding Daily Operations
We manage payroll across more than a dozen entities that operate on different schedules. Every pay period, someone had to log in to one portal, download reports, rename files, upload them to another system, and make sure everything matched correctly in QuickBooks.
What to Know About Content Restrictions Across Global Markets
opinion
What to Know About Content Restrictions Across Global Markets
Throughout 2025, age verification remained a major focus as merchants worked to meet the requirements of 26 U.S. states, country-specific regulations in France, the UK, and Italy, and evolving guidance from the European Commission.
Retailer Tips for Creating a More Size-Inclusive Lingerie Department
opinion
Retailer Tips for Creating a More Size-Inclusive Lingerie Department
I enjoy witnessing the confidence of someone leaving a fitting room, standing a bit taller. Their shoulders are squared, a spark shines in their eyes, and they view themselves in a new light. That moment presents one of the simplest sales opportunities on the sales floor.
Key Strategies for Building an Effective Website Compliance Program
opinion
Key Strategies for Building an Effective Website Compliance Program
For adult website operators, compliance can no longer live in a folder that only opens when a bank, regulator, attorney, or payment processor starts asking questions.
How to Create Clips Fans Come Back To
opinion
How to Create Clips Fans Come Back To
Let’s be real for a second: the independent porn industry is getting tougher to succeed in, largely because of what many people call “brain rot.” Fans have shorter attention spans thanks to endless scrolling on short-form media apps, and if your clips don’t stand out amid the flood of free content online, it can be difficult to convey their value to viewers.
A Practical Guide to Refreshing Your Creator Brand
opinion
A Practical Guide to Refreshing Your Creator Brand
The word “rebrand” can spark instant dread. Why mess with my favorite burrito? What’s with the new logo? Or in the world of online sex work: Wait, she changed her name? Dyed her hair? OMG did she really swap out the good-girl-next-door vibe for full leather baddie?
Building a Queer Audience Across Multiple Platforms
opinion
Building a Queer Audience Across Multiple Platforms
Building a queer audience online can be like trying to flirt at a party where half the people pretend you don’t exist, and the other half want you to leave. On some platforms, the word “gay” alone can tank visibility. On others, showing too much skin, using the wrong hashtag or linking too directly to adult content can quietly bury your posts before anyone sees them.
5 Key Features Your Adult Ecommerce Website Might Be Missing
opinion
5 Key Features Your Adult Ecommerce Website Might Be Missing
I spend a lot of time on adult ecommerce websites. Not just looking at the front end, but digging into what’s actually driving traffic, conversions and long-term growth. Here’s the reality: most adult brands are leaving money on the table.
How to Respond to Public Criticism on Social Media With Clarity, Composure
opinion
How to Respond to Public Criticism on Social Media With Clarity, Composure
Handling a public call-out on social media is one of the more uncomfortable moments a professional can face. It can feel personal, immediate and amplified in a way traditional feedback never is. Yet in today’s connected environment, these moments are not just unavoidable. They are opportunities.
Lessons From Decades of Building the Adult Internet
opinion
Lessons From Decades of Building the Adult Internet
After my first year of college, I needed a job. So I did what people did back then: I opened the newspaper and started scanning the classifieds. One listing stood out: “Image Librarian.” I had no idea what that meant, but I applied, and got the job.
Tips for Building a Pleasure Brand That Lasts
opinion
Tips for Building a Pleasure Brand That Lasts
Each year, promising new indie brands enter the pleasure industry with fresh, creative designs meant to enhance intimacy, wellness and self-discovery. Some are embraced by retailers and shoppers, while others fade quietly.
How to Build a Cross-Border Payment Strategy
opinion
How to Build a Cross-Border Payment Strategy
Pull up your analytics and you’ll likely find that international traffic is already on your site. Some of those visitors convert, but a lot more bounced at checkout — and a meaningful chunk tried to pay but were declined.
Why Brand Loyalty Starts With Adult Retail Staff Values
opinion
Why Brand Loyalty Starts With Adult Retail Staff Values
Brand loyalty is often discussed in terms of customers, but rarely in terms of the people working behind the counter or deciding what makes it onto the shelves.
The KPIs That Keep Payment Processing Humming While You're Away
opinion
The KPIs That Keep Payment Processing Humming While You're Away
I always look forward to the summer as my kids are home and I can plan little trips with them to reconnect and have some fun. If you’re like me, however, you probably never go on vacation without your laptop, so you can check in or lurk in the background to make sure all systems remain go.
Building an Ecommerce Engine That Bridges Online and Retail Sales
opinion
Building an Ecommerce Engine That Bridges Online and Retail Sales
Most independent retailers couldn't afford to build, host and manage a real ecommerce site well, so we leaned on the distributor's site and accepted the friction.
What Utah's SB 73 Means for Compliance Requirements
opinion
What Utah's SB 73 Means for Compliance Requirements
Utah has once again positioned itself at the center of the national battle over online age verification and adult-content regulation.
How Experiential Spaces Help Adult Retailers Drive Engagement, Sales
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opinion
How Experiential Spaces Help Adult Retailers Drive Engagement, Sales
E-commerce made adult retail accessible, efficient and discreet. But it also made it distant. For years, the industry has leaned heavily on convenience as the primary driver of growth. To be clear, it works.
