It’s time to brush up on your Spanish, sex toy manufacturers. The Mexican market is thriving, and the country’s distribution and retail businesses are eager to forge new connections with brands from around the world.
One such Mexican distributor is Distribuciones-BES, which combines local values with global goals. The company’s roots run deep, with over 15 years of pleasure industry experience. Now, this national distribution outlet is excited to expand.
Our retail clientele has told us stories about couples who have gone from being on the verge of divorce to being together again, thanks to the products they sell.
“We’re always looking for new business partners, both customers and manufacturers, and we are well known for bringing the best products to the Mexican market,” says founder Rolando Gamez. “We are in the process of growth, so we are always watching for innovative products to keep us on that curve.”
Distribuciones-BES is also a family business to the core. Gamez opened his distribution brand in 2006, bringing on his sister, Blanca, in 2013 and his brother, Daniel, in 2020.
This trio may share genes, but their original career trajectories could not be more different. Rolando Gamez’s education and background includes chemical engineering and management. He spent a decade working for several chemical companies in production, sales and marketing roles before opening his distributor warehouse. Blanca Gamez, the company’s CFO, was educated in computer science and holds an MBA from a top Mexican university. Daniel Gamez was a lawyer before becoming the company’s sales and marketing director.
“Before Distribuciones-BES, none of us had any experience with sexual health or adult businesses,” Rolando Gamez recalls. “But we share in common a will to help people experiment with their full sexuality, without taboos. As a team, we complement each other. Sometimes we do not agree, but we always talk and eventually get to the best decision.”
Running a pleasure business in Mexico, Gamez observes, occasionally means confronting the country’s religious and conservative traditional values. As of 2022, nearly 78% of the population identified as Catholic, and Gamez doesn’t think that number is likely to waver anytime soon. He notes that this reinforces a generally male-centric attitude toward sex and relationships.
“We are a society that has a double standard for morals, and where machismo and the mistreatment of women remain prevalent and accepted,” Gamez say. “I believe the machismo standard is why anal toys do not sell well in Mexico.”
Of course, the Catholic church is not endorsing bullet vibes and penis sleeves either. However, the pandemic did spur a slight lifting of the taboo veil while driving consumer interest — especially in online retail, where customers could buy discreetly.
Since then, Distribuciones-BES has managed to avoid falling victim to the same inflation pains as other North American pleasure brands, some of which claim to have experienced anywhere from a 30-50% decrease in sales.
“During the pandemic, people were able to experiment with sex toys, and ecommerce became a new way to get products,” says Gamez. “Our sales have remained stable in 2024 in comparison to 2023.”
Though you’d never know it by looking at Distribuciones-BES’ current selection of brand lines, Gamez admits he wasn’t always on-trend. It took the former chemist a few rounds of trial and error before landing on a buying formula that worked.
“The biggest challenge has been knowing if a product would work in our market,” says Gamez. “Initially, we did not choose the right products, but today, we have a better feeling for what will sell.”
The company maintains prominent partnerships with global brands like Satisfyer, We-Vibe, Lovense, Kiiroo and Autoblow. Gamez notes that these particular brands are often customer favorites due to their innovative designs and app-control capabilities.
Prompted to consider the never-ending debate over buying from a distributor versus buying in bulk from manufacturers — or as retailers call it, “going direct” — Gamez thinks it’s fair for stores to expect more from their distributor relationships.
“Distribution should bring added value to the commercial chain,” he says. “Otherwise, there is no reason to exist. Through our business, retailers can get sex toys, lubricants and brands that they could not get from any other distributor in the country. We also provide retail kits so our retailers can easily promote products.”
Distribuciones-BES aims to reduce the amount of time its retailer partners must invest in product research, sparing them both expense and overtime headaches.
“We bring new products with great warranties for better sales,” attests Gamez. “We also know the Mexican market. Finally, but no less importantly, we buy large quantities of products from our manufacturers, so the fixed costs are less per unit.”
As for the company’s future, Gamez hopes to continue bringing value to retail and manufacturer partnerships in ever-evolving and novel ways, as well as supporting Mexican couples and anyone seeking sexual liberation.
“Our retail clientele has told us stories about couples who have gone from being on the verge of divorce to being together again, thanks to the products they sell,” he offers proudly. “We enjoy being able to collaborate with them on sex education and assist them in helping their customers see sex toys as a way to experiment and find sexual fulfillment.”
At the end of the day, Gamez and his siblings bring their family values into everything they do, and Rolando hints that this might be the secret to their success.
“We are very loyal to our manufacturers and customers,” he says. “Doing business this way keeps us in the market.”
“One thing is for sure,” he concludes. “We did not arrive yesterday, and we are not leaving tomorrow!”
