The Massachusetts store is the company’s first retail location in the Northeast, but it won’t be the last. Adam & Eve Vice President Bob Christian told XBiz the company plans to have Adam & Eve stores in every state within the next several years.
Currently, Adam & Eve operates several company-owned stores in its corporate home base of North Carolina as well as seven franchised stores in Florida. Christian said that while the company eventually will have a nationwide presence, the first new stores in the franchising effort will have East Coast addresses.
“As an East Coast-based company,” Christian said, “we are focusing our primary efforts on initially opening East Coast stores, to facilitate supervision and be able to be closer to the stores to provide the best service to their new Adam & Eve businesses.”
Franchise owners Sondra and Ozzie Figueroa will celebrate the opening of the new store with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Like all Adam & Eve stores, the new boutique will feature a variety of lingerie, club and party wear, accessories, novelties, games, DVDs and videos aimed toward women and couples.
Co-owner Sondra Figueroa said she believes adult retail stores still have certain advantages over their online counterparts.
“Here, customers can touch the fabric, smell the lotions and know exactly what you’re buying,” Figueroa said. “Adam & Eve is a clean, well-lit, women and couples-friendly establishment with an emphasis on a positive shopping experience, and an incredible selection of lingerie.”
After the grand opening, Adam & Eve will support the Figueroas at a variety of events, including in-store promotions, celebrity signings and fashion shows. Christian said the company’s marketing know-how and connections within the adult community should make the prospect of opening a franchise attractive to other entrepreneurs.
“Fortunately, Adam & Eve has millions of customers all over the country already — customers who know what the Adam & Eve brand stands for,” Christian explained. “This is unique for a new franchisor. Most have to build their brand awareness in a new area. In our case, the mission is a little different — we combine our various marketing channels to let customers know Adam & Eve now serves their region with stores as well as web and catalog.”