opinion

Drugstore Invasion: Sex Toys Go Mainstream

Look over your shoulder. The sex toys are coming! The sex toys are coming! Many of us in the adult industry already know that several kinds of toys have made their way into bricks and mortar general merchandise stores such as CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and the ever-conservative Walmart. Yep, Walmart.

Industry giants Durex and Trojan have penetrated the mainstream market by placing their toys in the condoms and lubricants section of the stores — I mean, where else would they put them? They aren’t by the front counter … yet. Sometimes, they cleverly hide in the “massagers” area — the place where once can easily erase those aches and pains with a Tylenol and a vibrator. The mainstreamed products range from vibrating cock rings, the original cross-over product that created a stir when introduced into drug stores a decade ago, to real, live action vibrators that make no pretense as to what they really are. Their discreet packaging is what slides them easily into those stores.

I was at a Walgreens recently and gulped when I saw the mainstay Pocket Rocket, complete with interchangeable heads, being pawned off as a massager.

I was at a Walgreens recently and gulped when I saw the mainstay Pocket Rocket, complete with interchangeable heads, being pawned off as a massager. And of course, the price was waaay lower than what a typical adult store would need to charge to cover their overhead. I wondered how many elderly women would go back to their hubbies and say “Look what I got at Walgreens, honey! It’s for pain relief for my arthritic knuckles!”

I really feel that the mainstreaming of toys is both good and bad for the adult industry. Here’s why….

It’s bad because people don’t have to feel obligated to visit their local adult store to buy a vibrator. When checking out at Walmart, they can simply add it to their purchase. “That’ll be tissues, a bottle of Minute Maid, a new T shirt, a Transformers toy, tampons, and oh, a Trojan vibrator and the total of your order is…” with the check out clerk barely noticing what’s in the shopping cart. Vamoose pesky embarrassment!

So then you have suburban housewife, or even RURAL housewife, discovering the joys of using her new found toy. “Gee, I only read about these things in Redbook,” might cross her mind. “I think I like this.”

And that’s where we come in. Once Ms. Suburbia finds she likes the sensation of her new found pleasure, it can often open the door to more purchases of bigger, faster, harder, more kinds of toys. And lubricants. And body treats. And lingerie. And DVDs. And sex ed instruction books. The list can go on and on. It’s up to us to continue her education (and hopefully her partner’s if that’s the case) to let her know buying these things is okay. She’s an automatic upsell as the overwhelming majority of toys sold in the mainstream are pretty straightforward, well, straight, vibrators.

But I’m still concerned. It’s like my own little secret of where to buy these things has been mass merchandised and all the special attributes I’ve learned about each and every gizmo will be out there for everyone to know. But isn’t that why we do this anyway? To preach the gospel to the public of why we love these unique and alwayschanging toys? To share our enthusiasm and educate those hard to reach customers so they can reach those “hard to reach places?” I guess so.

So let’s embrace our mass merchandisers in the sex toy department, knowing that the next purchase for these women will be in our stores and from our websites, where we can provide so much more information than the clerk sporting the blue smock.

Related:  

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

profile

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.

Naima Karp ·
profile

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.

Colleen Godin ·
opinion

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.

Zondre Watson ·
opinion

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.

Briana Watkins ·
opinion

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.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

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.

Rin Musick ·
profile

WIA Profile: Cynthia Wielgosz Elliott

The past year has been a challenging one for the team at premier lubricant manufacturer Sliquid. Late in 2024, company co-founder Dean Elliott passed away after battling cancer, though he managed to flash his wide, signature grin until the very end.

Women in Adult ·
opinion

Michigan's Intimate Ideas Offers Playful Retail Setting for Wide Range of Shoppers

Jerry Manis, the regional manager of Intimate Ideas’ Michigan stores, never planned on working in adult retail — but he says it’s turned out to be a surprisingly rewarding gig.

Quinton Bellamie ·
opinion

Kraig McGee Blends Family Values, Creative Background at TAF Distributing

Walk into any Adam & Eve store in the Mountain West region of the U.S. and you’ve likely stumbled into a TAF Distributing outfit. Owned by industry veteran Kraig McGee Jr. and staffed by his closest family members, McGee’s 35 TAF-operated stores span 13 states, from woodsy Idaho to scenic Utah and well beyond.

Colleen Godwin ·
opinion

How Pleasure Brands Can Ethically Market to LGBTQ+ Communities

Every June, the rainbow floodgates open. Suddenly, pleasure products are “Pride-themed,” companies change their logos and brands rush to show just how inclusive they are — at least for 30 days. But as a queer, nonbinary marketing strategist who works with adult brands year-round, I’m here to say: Rainbow dildos alone are not progress. They’re often just noise.

Hail Groo ·
Show More