It's almost 2020, and it's safe to say adult stores will never be the same — and most everyone will agree that's a good thing. Unless you have a kink for listening to strangers play “choke the chicken” in a dark, curtained corner while trying to buy a vibrator (and considering we're XBIZ, we certainly won't judge if you do), well, you're probably glad video booths have gone the way of the mullet.
We've found at least one pleasure industry advocate who proudly agrees, and that's Raichael McCarthy, assistant manager at Love Stuff and More in Hamilton, New Jersey. The two-store chain operates another location in Burlington as well, and though these shops are the only brick-and-mortars in the area, they weren't always the go-to choice of local sex-toy shoppers.
Our staff is dedicated to educating our customers and making sure that they are buying products that are right for their needs, not just the priciest item we carry.
According to McCarthy, 2009 marked the rebranding of Love Stuff and More, whose owner had turned away from the old days of porn viewing booths and drawing the kind of customers who creeped out staff. But it wasn't until 2013 that McCarthy felt the sort of focus on sexual health that makes her proud to manage the Hamilton store today.
“I remember visiting the Hamilton store as a customer both before and right after the rebranding, and the change was incredible,” recalls McCarthy.
“The interior was bright and airy, the vibe was so much more welcoming to female customers, and I didn’t feel as if I had to sneak in late at night. I felt comfortable bringing other female friends there, and spending more time shopping,” she says.
McCarthy says in her three and a half years working at the shop, she's never been more satisfied with the customer turnout or the compliments she constantly receives from returning regulars.
“It’s the most important facet of our business — customer service and satisfaction,” touts McCarthy. “The focus on sexual health and wellness — sex education — is our way of making sure that our customers are not only happy with their experience, but feel as if they have learned something that, unfortunately, is sorely lacking in the school systems.”
McCarthy's passion for sexual wellness undoubtedly plays a huge role in the store's revamped atmosphere, though she acknowledges the owner's trend-savvy decision to switch gears long before the big sex-ed boutique boom.
“Thanks to social media, and the inundation of adult content online, adult video-and-bookstores are just not as popular as they used to be,” McCarthy points out. “People don’t feel as if they have to furtively visit the local adult store under the cover of night, so why shouldn’t they have a clean, well-lit boutique atmosphere to shop in?”
While helping to run the show at Love Stuff, McCarthy now has a hand in choosing only the best staff. Without the ability to play traditional shop clerk and knowledgeable sex educator, it would be difficult to land a gig under McCarthy's watch.
“We hire staff who care about our customers and the industry as a whole, and aren’t just there to collect a paycheck,” McCarthy explains. “Our staff is dedicated to educating our customers and making sure that they are buying products that are right for their needs, not just the priciest item we carry.”
Manufacturer trainings are generally cause for celebration at the retail level. McCarthy thinks they're not only an entertaining treat for her hard-working staff, but a necessary step in learning to educate and sell.
“Trainings are always a lot of fun, and I feel that we are better able to sell the products we offer because of them,” says McCarthy.
If you decide to wander into Love Stuff on training day, however, you're really in for something special. While some managers relegate trainings to a back room or find that they disturb the flow of customers, McCarthy believes they're a huge benefit to whoever happens to pop in — and the day's profits.
“We always do training in-store, during business hours, and not only do our vendors get to see us interacting with our customers, our customers get to see that the products they are buying are produced by companies who care about their needs, not some huge, faceless corporation,” she says. “I’ve had customers actually listen in and ask questions during some of our trainings, and it truly makes this experience feel all the more inclusive and community-focused.”
What McCarthy recognizes is that these two stores, smack dab in the middle of New Jersey, provide essential life skills that extend far beyond the bedroom. Consumers from especially conservative or religious backgrounds can confide in McCarthy and her team and reap immense rewards even they had no idea were possible.
McCarthy re-tells one of her most proud moments as a manager: “I think one of my favorites, though, had to be these two brothers from the Middle East, who asked how they could please their wives. They were so sweet, and so polite,” she remembers. “The younger of the two explained that they didn’t get any type of sex ed where they were from, and they wanted to correct their lack. We covered a lot of bases, and I wound up drawing them diagrams of the female anatomy, complete with notes. They came back a week or two later all smiles, and said my advice was really helpful, and their wives were very, very happy.”
After a year of outstanding product workshops (with System JO, Wet, Intimate Earth, Clandestine Devices, Maia Toys and Pipedream, just to name a few, she says), constant service to the local community, and a few themed, holiday raffles to keep customers on their toes, McCarthy looks forward to bringing more fresh ideas to the table.
For now, she's just happy to conclude a full day's work knowing she genuinely helped someone improve their relationship.
“Customers are always sending their friends and family to our stores. I can’t say what the year will bring,” concludes McCarthy, “but I can say that we will keep making Love Stuff and More a safe, comfortable space for our customers, and give them the best experience our staff can offer.”
