For as long as people have been getting it on, they have also been finding ways to enhance their pleasure. The ancient Greeks loved sex and were incredibly open about it. We even have historical records of some of the various tools they created and used to enhance the experience. For instance, we know that as far back as 350 BCE, people used olive oil as a lubricant. It’s incredible to think that the history of an adult retail staple like lube can be traced so far back.
Today, adult store shelves are stocked with an amazing variety of different bottles, tubes and tubs filled with lubricants in various formulations, desensitizers for comfort, flavored topicals that turn oral sex into a fun buffet and even emollients designed to turn creampie fantasies into reality. Modern adult retailers offer more sexual enhancement options than ever, so let’s learn more about them.
Thankfully, the last couple of decades have seen a massive shift in lubricant availability, variety and quality, as well as in the way people think and talk about lube.
In the Beginning, There Was Lube
As noted, the ancient Greeks liked to get a little slippery when they were getting sexy, but lubricant hasn’t always been formulated and marketed as a sexual wellness product. Until the early 2000s, in fact, lube quality and variety tended to be lackluster. If people needed some glide, they often relied on products easily found at the grocery store or in a cupboard at home: petroleum jelly, baby oil and even vegetable shortening. Though some of these certainly did the trick — especially for anal play — they were not made for internal use, are not safe for vaginas and are incompatible with most condoms.
This was partly due to a lack of access and knowledge, but also because of a longtime stigma associated with lubricant use, especially by people with vaginas. The assumption was that only older people needed lube, or that needing lube meant you were not “turned on.” This made lubricant a hard sell, something more associated with the doctor’s office than with pleasure. These stereotypes still live on, as many sales associates working the front lines in stores can attest.
Thankfully, the last couple of decades have seen a massive shift in lubricant availability, variety and quality, as well as in the way people think and talk about lube. Lubricant is now seen as both a pleasure and a wellness product, something that makes sex feel better regardless of how old you are. Consumers of all ages are not only buying more of it, they’re vocally recommending their favorite brands as they might do with beauty products.
Manufacturers have responded to this dramatic shift by transforming this once supplementary product category into a crucial consumable for adult stores.
With Normalization Comes Diversification
Gone are the days of settling for the one lubricant your local drugstore bothered to stock. Today’s customers get to choose from a variety of formulas: classic water-based minus the additives found in drugstore brands, stay-silky silicone, longer-lasting water/silicone hybrids, ever-slick oil-based creams and unique oil/water hybrids.
Within those categories are even more options, with water-based formulas made in thicker gel-like viscosities or with enhancements for added benefits: soothing aloe, calming hemp oil, moisturizing vitamin E, desensitizing benzocaine or lidocaine and even body-safe flavored lubes.
It’s not just what’s inside that comes in various options, either. Packaging has evolved considerably from classic pop-top or pump bottles to sprays, tubs and nozzle tips to make application precise.
Lube Goes Beyond
At this point in our industry, no niche goes unserved. If your shopper has a fun fantasy or unique kink that involves fluid play, there’s a lube or product made to help bring it to life. For example, there are several lubricant brands formulated to look and feel like realistic semen, designed to be used with squirting dildos or enjoyed by those with body-fluid kinks.
Sexual enhancement products don’t stop with lube, of course. One of the most robust categories of sexual enhancers is products aimed at oral sex play. Shoppers who enjoy or want to explore deepthroating will want to check out tasty topicals available in a wide choice of flavors.
We’ve come a long way from olive oil!
Help Shoppers Find the Enhancements They Want
When it comes to helping shoppers find the lubes and topicals that will most benefit them, it’s important to remember that you will be talking to all kinds of folks, from customers who have tried all the things and are excited to see what’s new, to people who may still be uncertain about whether using lube is “natural” or worry that needing it means something is wrong with them or their partners.
Here are some basic tips for navigating the questions, judgments, fears and misinformation you may encounter on the sales floor, in ways that won’t alienate shoppers or frustrate you:
- Practice discussing the differences between water, silicone, oil and hybrids using simple, uncomplicated language. For instance, how would you describe them to someone learning English for the first time? Or think about how you would explain them to a young adult venturing into your store for the first time.
- Practice asking clarifying questions that aren’t too personal or direct but help you figure out the customer’s level of knowledge and experience. For example, instead of asking “What kind of sex are you having?” or “What lube do you currently use?” start with “What do you know about lube so far?” or “Are there any brands you’re familiar with?” This can help build initial rapport while avoiding presumptions or accidental offenses. When a shopper makes an inaccurate statement about lubricants — and this will definitely happen! — give yourself a moment to take a breath. Simply telling them that they are wrong is not likely to result in a sale. Remind yourself that there are reasons why misconceptions about lube are so prevalent, including lack of sex ed and the suppression of accurate and helpful pleasure-related content on social media. An effective first response could sound like, “Oh, interesting. Where did you hear that?” or “Sorry, I can’t speak to that, but I can speak to this…”
- Topicals and enhancements available in attention-grabbing POP displays can make for helpful conversation starters. They often list the key features and selling points for shoppers to review themselves. When considering bringing them into your store, find out which ones come in counter displays or include shelf-talkers.
- Products considered less “essential” than lubricants, like oral-sex sprays or blowjob popping candy, tend to be more playfully marketed and offer an opportunity to highlight fun and the excitement of experimentation as key features.
As more lubes, topicals and enhancements are developed and released, retailers must be prepared to help shoppers understand their options and find products designed for safety, comfort, play and pleasure. They will remember how your staff made them feel as they browsed, and if they leave feeling seen, heard and satisfied, there’s a good chance they’ll be back again for more.
Rebecca Weinberg is an award-winning executive with more than 20 years of experience in the adult industry. She is the president of multi-award-winning pleasure product manufacturer XR Brands.
