NEW YORK — A New York sex shop has managed to find yet another way to exploit the “Fifty Shades of Grey” craze.
Gotham City in Times Square has dedicated an entire section of its store on 687 Eighth Avenue to the book called the “Grey Area” where customers can buy the novels along with all of their featured BDSM goodies including shock nipple clamps, ropes, whips, handcuffs and more.
What’s most interesting is that the salespeople are all women.
"We joke that it turns soccer moms into sluts," one female employee told DNAinfo.com.
A storefront display features all three of author E.L. James’ novels beckoning window shoppers to come in and browse the kinky offerings. Management however does not allow photos to be taken in order to insure customer privacy.
For the BDSM novice, the store also offers tamer playthings, like "pleasure tape" gags, muzzles and straightjackets. Products from Swedish sex toy designer Lelo are also popular items.
The employee said that most of the store’s clientele are typically older women who normally would not enter a more seedy Times Square sex shop. But it seems like the typical customers aren’t as innocent as they seem. The store had to stop selling leather floggers because of housewives who hit their husbands too hard. Now they sell rubber ones for the time being.
"People read the book and think they're experts, but they can hurt themselves," she said. "Rubber, it makes more of a sting than a snap."
Another big seller is the "Wartenberg Wheel" that delivers a tingling sensation to a submissive when rolled over the skin.
One “very attractive” older woman made it a point to return to the store after a toy purchase to personally thank the employee. "She said she bagged a young guy because of them and they had a fantastic relationship," the employee said.
