Friday, Jun 20, 2008    Text size: 

The new 10-function Buzz Rider and 10-function Pulse Rod jelly toys have vibration, pulsation and escalation features, as well as easy on-and-off push button.

The Geyser Douche kit is easy to assemble and clean, with a soft tip and squeezable bulb.

The new products area available now to retailers, as part of the COLT Corner merchandising plan-o-gram for participating merchants.

“COLT is the only gay product company that has a full range of products, which we’ve introduced in the stores as the COLT Corner,” COLT Sales Director Cisco Ybarra told XBIZ.

“Customers can actually build a full flush wall or a dedicated section with everything — they can have COLT Leather, COLT Gear — we’re the only company that has everything from print all the way through DVDs and clothing; the full run.”

Ybarra pointed out that product diversity is especially important to adult producers, as well as retailers, as DVD sales have slowed.

“DVD sales have changed, but a lot of people will buy a piece of leather — when they buy our line, they may buy a leather jock and a tank top and they may buy a DVD at the same time,” he said.

“That’s why we strongly encourage customers to build out their COLT corners. It’s to the wholesale customer’s advantage to have the products organized properly, similar to shopping at any mainstream store. It’s a new concept for a lot of adult retailers, but a lot of them are jumping on board to maintain their audience,” Ybarra added. “So if they have a good range of products from moderately priced to high-priced, the storeowners make out and can really get the business.”

Focused merchandising also promotes stronger brand recognition, and though COLT has existed for 41 years as one of the most well-known gay product lines, Ybarra said that offering product like upscale coffee table books and leatherwear have established COLT as a crossover erotic product company, beyond their reputation as a classic gay line.

“[COLT] has customers that are 18 years old all the way up into their 60s, so the brand is very strong. It’s important to be consistent, yet unique, and always have their brand out there,” he said.

“Consumers look at it as an erotic brand, so we have a really large crossover appeal,” Ybarra said further. “We get into a lot of more mainstream stores because our line is not considered porn, but more erotic art — a little bit classier, so it’s able to grow into different markets. And the more people that see it, the more adult retailers benefit.”