Recently I've spent a lot of time thinking about packaging. Around the office, at the stores, in the mall… small store, large store. How are items packaged, what does it do for the product, how does it make me feel.
Before this job I never really thought about it… and now it's all I think about. I find myself taking photos at the grocery store, when I buy makeup and when I find myself attracted to something I would never even consider buying. What attracted me? What did the packaging say to me?
Then a friend and sales rep IM'd me with her own questions about packaging - what worked best for us, which did we prefer etc… I thought about it. What does work best? What do we prefer?
The truth is packaging has always been a huge focus for my company. We used to remove everything from its original package so that our customers could interact with the product and not be swayed (positively or negatively) by how the item was packaged. Because in the end, they are buying the product for the function and not for the package. The package will most likely end up in the trash (recycled if we are lucky!) and we hope the consumer will remember which brand it was and where they bought it.
Aside from the product quality itself, packaging is one of the most important things to consider when looking at a product or a line to add. When a buyer receives samples they, in effect, are having the same experience the consumer will when they look at the product. I'd recommend asking yourself: What does the packaging tell me about the product? Is it true? How does the packaging make me feel? How does it make me feel about the product? What is the focal point on the packaging? Is it the product? If not, why not? Would I buy this? If not, why not?
Then unwrap the product and ask yourself the same questions.
What about the packaging attracts you? What about the product attracts you? What doesn't.
Packaging has evolved leaps and bounds over the past few years and I often ask myself which changes are keepers and where we still need to grow. The consumer is looking for a particular experience so how do we meet the needs of our customers without alienating others. How do we make one segment of society feel "seen" while not excluding others. They are all potential customers, potential revenue.
When I look in a box of samples I am looking at more than just the product itself (look, feel, functionality, quality), I am also looking at how that brand represents itself. How it sells the product. Because these days beauty is way more than skin deep.
Pretty on the Inside
Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.
More Articles
What Sexual Wellness Brands Can Learn From Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is an undeniable cultural force, but her superpower isn’t just music. From surprise album drops on podcasts to billion-dollar tours, the Swiftie empire has turned into a global movement in large part thanks to effective marketing.
How Humor Breaks the Ice in Adult Retail
Laughter sells. That’s especially true in our industry. Where vulnerability and curiosity walk through the door together, humor can help turn hesitation into comfort.
Multipurpose Products Take Center Stage as Pleasure Brands Face Headwinds in Europe
As 2025 unfolds, the European pleasure industry finds itself balancing between resilience and recalibration. After riding high on customer demand during the pandemic, the sector is now adjusting to more cautious customer behavior, global geopolitical tensions and shifting retail strategies.
WIA Profile: Sara Gaffoor
Though it may seem surprising to outsiders, industry veterans are well acquainted with the self-esteem, personal growth and rewarding career achievements that can come with a job in the sex toy space.
Zhe Founder Karyn Elizabeth Creates Gender-Affirming Lingerie Fashion
For years, the mainstream lingerie market has been shaped by narrow beauty standards and cisnormativity, with little room for gender diversity. Most lingerie is designed to fit cisgender female bodies, while trans people are often forced to go DIY with uncomfortable solutions like pantyhose, duct tape and ill-fitting shapewear.
Neon Coyotes Sets the Tone for Trendiness With Bespoke Leather Kink Wear
If your kink wear can’t readily make the leap from a dark BDSM dungeon to a sunny, mimosa-fueled brunch, you haven’t yet been initiated into the cult of the Neon Coyotes — fresh, leather kink wear brand transforming restraints into runway-ready art.
Why It's Time for Adult Retail to Embrace AI
In the late 1980s, I was working in the rental car business. My first company didn’t have a single computer. Everything — contracts, inventory, employee records — was done by hand. If you wanted a report, you dug through paper files and crunched numbers on a calculator. It was tedious, but it was all we knew.
What Retailers Gain by Partnering With Family-Run Brands
In an age increasingly dominated by corporate consolidation and faceless supply chains, choosing to work with a family-owned and operated business can offer retailers a depth of value that goes far beyond pricing and product margins.
How the 'Back Massager' Vibrator Became the World's Most Versatile Sex Toy
Wand vibrators are once again having a pop culture moment. Recently, Harry Styles expanded his lifestyle brand, Pleasing, by introducing a “Pleasing Yourself” double-sided wand vibrator developed in collaboration with sex educator Zoë Ligon.
Strategic Retail Buying in a Shifting Pleasure Economy
Retail buying has never been a static job, but recent volatility in pricing, caused by shifting tariffs, global import costs and freight variations, has demanded a new level of agility for adult industry buyers and managers. As business expenses rise, so does the pressure to optimize the return on every product.
