LONDON — Brits, apparently under a “Fifty Shades of Grey” spell, have splurged an unprecedented £50 million on sex toys, erotic novels and pleasure products this Christmas, according to new consumer research.
Leading U.K.-based online sex toy retailer Lovehoney has revealed that in its 12-year history, it sold more than 20,000 items in a day, which was more sex toys sold in a given day in the U.K. — ever, the Daily Star reported.
Lovehoney, which boasts the official license for all 'Fifty Shades' pleasure products — the only ranges approved by the book's author E L James — has spent upwards of $1 million on TV advertising for Christmas and Valentine's Day to grab a big slice of the booming soft kink market.
The company's co-owner Richard Longhurst said that their turn-over doubled in the space of a year, with the women buying a whole lot of erotic fiction ala “Fifty Shades.”
While 80 percent of the books were reportedly read by women, the audience for the mainstream film debuting in February is expected to be split evenly amongst the sexes.
Longhursts believes that movie-goers will be inspired to experiment with sex toys after watching. “Fifty Shades” branded, the better.
