When the going gets tough, the tough get going — and the pleasure trade has endured some pretty tough times. It is perhaps to be expected, then, that a company like Eldorado Trading, which has been around for a full half-century, has learned to weather lean years with its head held high.
Indeed, the company’s capacity for maintaining optimism in the face of occasional disappointment was put to the test in 2024. That year, the company commemorated its 50th anniversary — while also facing what turned out to be one of adult retail’s leanest years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In what should have been a jubilant year for Eldorado, the celebratory mood has been hampered by the challenging market conditions in which our industry finds itself,” Eldorado Vice President Preston Garland acknowledges. “Even so, it has been wonderful to see our employees pulling together, showing dedication to each other and providing the best service to our customers.”
While those customers needn’t worry about the trusted company’s Colorado warehouse closing or any such drastic outcomes, Garland says the state of the market and somber mood at the office did impact his team’s approach to the anniversary festivities.
“We kept the celebrations pretty low-key,” he reflects. “Still, we have recognized this milestone at trade shows like Altitude and Stimulate, as well as at our customer event.”
Instead of a blowout birthday bash providing another reason to wake up with a post-trade show hangover, Eldorado opted for a “take-home” experience.
“What we did to celebrate that excited me the most was the adult coloring book we put together,” enthuses Garland. “It is 30-plus pages of everyone’s favorite products and brands. That book was a really fun and unique way to mark 50 years of Eldorado.”
Trade show attendees and XBIZ readers also noticed the 50th-anniversary icon the company incorporated into its logo throughout 2024.
“That was a great piece designed by our marketing staff and has been a fun little way to mark this milestone year,” notes Garland.
“Undoubtedly, this has been a difficult year for adult products,” he observes. “While a drop has not been universal across the board, many retailers and manufacturers I have spoken to this year have seen declines in sales.
“Digging deeper into the sales numbers this year, looking at year-over-year sales in dollars compared to year-over-year sales in units, has confirmed my intuition that end consumers are still buying adult products — but are selecting more budget-friendly options to stretch their dollar farther,” Garland elaborates. “While inflation has cooled and returned to a normal range from last year’s highs, I think many shoppers’ budgets are still feeling the strain.”
As for what products consumers are buying within their reduced means, Garland says Eldorado’s top sellers for 2024 remained very similar to the previous year.
“We are seeing continued strength in the app-enabled toy category,” he explains. “Once you get outside that first tier of bestsellers, we see the shift toward budget-friendly items. The other category that has performed well this year is BDSM.”
When it comes to assessing how to keep his family business afloat, Garland’s outlook suggests that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree that his father, Larry Garland, first planted over five decades ago.
“Long-term success in business is built on a solid foundation,” he affirms. “That foundation is made of various parts, from your business plan to your financial footing to your reputation. In good years, when money comes easily, flaws in your foundation are easy to cover up. It is in the hard times, like the year we are all currently facing, when businesses are tested. Then we see the true strength of their foundation.”
During a year of market slowdown and limited travel budgets, Eldorado has reinvigorated its social media presence to stay connected with customers.
“Even though we have been strong on Facebook for a long time, our goal this year was to relaunch our presence on Instagram, which we did to great success,” Garland reports. “We have also continued both of our digital educational series this year, with extremely positive responses from our customers.”
In particular, Eldorado’s Facebook Live series has seen great participation from retailer and manufacturer partners, Garland adds — though Facebook regulations force sales reps to keep the content PG-13. Eldorado also hosts another event via Zoom, Virtual Elevation, where Garland’s team is free to speak with more spice about sexual health products.
“I would recommend that all of Eldorado’s customers keep an eye out for more digital educational events for the rest of this year and next,” says Garland. “We won’t be slowing down anytime soon.”
Without ruining the surprises he promises are in store for 2025, Garland hints at a growing travel schedule that includes events across the entire U.S. and more in-person educational opportunities for retailers.
Reflecting upon 50 years of selling sensual hopes and dreams, as well as occasionally navigating rough seas, Garland emphasizes that ultimately it is the people — customers, colleagues, and even competitors — who make all the struggle worthwhile.
“We are a tight-knit industry where each and every trade show and event feels like a reunion,” he concludes gratefully. “That is special and hard to find in this world.”
