One of the most fulfilling parts of life in adult retail is helping shoppers comfortably and happily explore things they are curious about. These days, with BDSM being more popular than ever and more shoppers being BDSM-curious, retailers are stocking their shops to satisfy the demand. But there’s more to BDSM than paddles, bed restraints and blindfolds. What happens when BDSM newbs make their way up to more advanced needs?
When it comes to exploring the wide world of hardcore BDSM with activities like puppy play, sounding, electrostimulation, medical play, fisting and more, shoppers need help from staff — not just for picking products, but also for advice and pro tips when possible. In this column, we’re talking about the types of products that can help a retailer cater to shoppers curious about hardcore BDSM as they embrace their super-kinky side!
Keeping a healthy stock of BDSM items beyond the basics gives shoppers options and helps them find new toys and tools that they might not have thought to ask about.
A step up from basics
Shoppers curious about hardcore BDSM probably already have a flogger or two, and maybe a blindfold or some handcuffs. They’ve covered the basics, and now you can offer them things that can serve as their next step. If they know they like impact play, now might be the time for something like a bondage table. If they’ve tried some restraints, they might now be ready for something like a suspension bar or something that brings impact play and restraints together, like multi-piece sets that feature complementary accessories like a blindfold or mouth gag.
Mix it up
Customers who are looking to explore might be interested in learning about entirely new ways to play. Offer cages, collars and leashes for the puppy-play-curious, or cock cages for those intrigued by chastity play. They could even explore multiple types of play at once with electrostimulation toys that do double duty, like vibrators enhanced with e-stim features.
Go deep
Folks who are looking to get a bit more intense with their BDSM play may consider kinky ways to explore their own or each other’s bodies. It could be super-deep penetration with extra-large toys or even fisting with textured gloves. Another body exploration route is sounding — inserting probing and dilation instruments called sounds into the urethra. For folks who really want to plumb the depths of their partners’ bodies, there are lots of fun options, such as hollow plugs and anal expanders that stretch orifices to their pleasurable limits.
Get a little weird
When it comes to BDSM, especially hardcore BDSM, there are some options that to most people might look a little, well, weird. But these sexual oddities might be exactly what your shoppers want and need to satisfy their dark desires, and the taboo nature is exactly what turns them on. Items like gags are tools that let people explore kinks like humiliation play. These kinds of items certainly aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they enable people to express themselves and engage in the activities that make them feel alive, connected and free.
If you stock it, they will come
Lots of folks find the things they like and stick with them. That’s why it can be daunting for a shop to set about building a selection of BDSM offerings, especially items aimed at more hardcore BDSM activities. Nevertheless, keeping a healthy stock of BDSM items that go beyond the basics gives shoppers options and helps them find new toys and tools that they might not have thought to ask about. Instead of feeling the need to brave a completely different kind of establishment to satisfy their curiosity, shoppers will be able to start their hardcore BDSM experimentation in a shop they are already comfortable with — and you will get to keep your customers coming back for more.
Rebecca Weinberg is an award-winning industry leader with more than 20 years of experience in the adult industry. She is the president of multi-award-winning pleasure product manufacturer XR Brands.
