Feature Articles
Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community With Inclusive Packaging Design
opinion
Celebrating the LGBTQ+ Community With Inclusive Packaging Design
Pride Month is a time of visibility, joy and self-expression. In the pleasure industry, projecting that energy can start with something as simple as a box. Market research shows that 72% of U.S. consumers say product packaging influences their purchasing decisions.
Why It's Time for Pleasure Brands to Stop Ignoring B2C Marketing
opinion
Why It's Time for Pleasure Brands to Stop Ignoring B2C Marketing
For many B2B adult brands, marketing to consumers feels like a waste of time. I’ve heard it so many times: “We sell to retailers, not consumers. Why should we invest in B2C marketing?”
The Midlife Movement Is Exploding; Is the Pleasure Industry Ready?
opinion
The Midlife Movement Is Exploding; Is the Pleasure Industry Ready?
In marketing, there tends to be an emphasis on the younger generation — the trendsetters. The assumption is that appealing to the younger market has a halo effect on older consumers, who look to younger folks for what is on trend.
Gender Play Gets Creative With Fantasy Toys
opinion
Gender Play Gets Creative With Fantasy Toys
Sex toy manufacturers are increasingly recognizing the value of fantasy products, expanding their lines to include ever more diverse designs. What was once considered a niche market has proven to have broad appeal, demonstrating that people are eager to explore desires that extend beyond conventional human experiences.
How Sex Toy Retailers Can Better Support Marginalized Communities
opinion
How Sex Toy Retailers Can Better Support Marginalized Communities
As someone who has been in the industry since 2003, I’ve seen countless trends, products and marketing strategies come and go. Yet one thing has remained consistent: a significant gap in how sex toy retailers serve marginalized communities.
Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Success During Masturbation May
opinion
Tips for Boosting Ecommerce Success During Masturbation May
Masturbation May is not just a month for self-exploration. It’s also a prime opportunity for ecommerce brands in the adult retail space to tap into a highly engaged audience actively searching for resources and products to celebrate their sexual wellness.
Tips for Promoting Inclusivity, Accessibility in Adult Retail
opinion
Tips for Promoting Inclusivity, Accessibility in Adult Retail
Walking into an adult store or browsing a retail website should feel like an invitation — an open, shame-free space to explore pleasure and identity. But for many of us, that’s not the reality. As a queer, nonbinary and physically disabled person, I’ve spent years navigating physical and digital spaces that weren’t built with people like me in mind.
Tips for Reinvigorating Marketing Strategy by Tapping Into Online Feedback
opinion
Tips for Reinvigorating Marketing Strategy by Tapping Into Online Feedback
For the past 50 years or so, the pleasure industry has worked tirelessly to increase public acceptance of sex toys. We’ve done an incredible job, and that progress has only accelerated since I first started out working the sales floor at Babeland nearly 20 years ago.
The 'Wall of Shame' in Adult Retail: Deterrent or Dilemma?
opinion
The 'Wall of Shame' in Adult Retail: Deterrent or Dilemma?
Retail theft affects all kinds of businesses, but adult retailers face unique challenges when it comes to loss prevention. One of the more controversial strategies some retailers have adopted is the “wall of shame,” a public display of shoplifters caught in the act.
Mitigating Retail Shrink Through Intelligent Video Solutions
opinion
Mitigating Retail Shrink Through Intelligent Video Solutions
Retail shrink isn’t just a cost of doing business — it’s an existential threat. Theft, fraud, operational inefficiencies and employee mismanagement chip away at profits in ways that many business owners don’t even realize.
The Power of Authenticity in Selling Pleasure Products
opinion
The Power of Authenticity in Selling Pleasure Products
I’ve been working in the pleasure industry for more than two decades. For a significant chunk of that time, I thought that to be successful in sales, I had to fit a mold. I assumed that selling meant following a formula: say the right things, use the right voice and present myself in a way that was guaranteed to convert.
How Cannabis Culture Is Reshaping Sexual Wellness, Pleasure
opinion
How Cannabis Culture Is Reshaping Sexual Wellness, Pleasure
April is a month of celebration: Lovers Day, Earth Day… and 4/20. Once a subculture symbol, “420” has evolved into a movement that bridges cannabis advocacy, wellness and an increasingly vital discussion around sexual health and pleasure.
Why Inclusivity in the Pleasure Industry Is More Important Than Ever
opinion
Why Inclusivity in the Pleasure Industry Is More Important Than Ever
2025 has kicked off with a series of unsettling events. Tension and anxiety are high across North America as the unknown impact of tariffs, climate change and attacks on human rights loom ominously. In times of unrest, seeking pleasure is not frivolity but necessity.
2025's Top Tech Trends That Adult Retailers Should Know About
opinion
2025's Top Tech Trends That Adult Retailers Should Know About
I just got back from the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo, also known as “Retail’s Big Show,” where I walked the floor, sat in on key panels, talked with industry experts and influencers, and did my best to sift through the b.s. so I could report back to you all on the things you need to care about.
Understanding the Importance of Graphic Design in Sexual Wellness Social Media Marketing
opinion
Understanding the Importance of Graphic Design in Sexual Wellness Social Media Marketing
In the world of social media, graphic design is more than just making things look visually appealing — it’s a vital tool in shaping and maintaining a brand’s identity. Your social media is your storefront, so aesthetics mean everything.
How Adult Retail Is Shaping Sexual Health One Customer at a Time
opinion
How Adult Retail Is Shaping Sexual Health One Customer at a Time
Remember back in health class, when they taught us about boundaries, consent and how many nerve endings are in the clitoris? Of course you don’t, because it didn’t happen. In fact, sex education is still severely lacking in much of the U.S.
Westridge Labs Celebrates the History, Future of ID Lubricants Brand
opinion
Westridge Labs Celebrates the History, Future of ID Lubricants Brand
If you work in adult retail, you know ID Lubricants. With its classic, clear bottles and consumer-friendly pricing, ID has maintained a home on brick-and-mortar shelves since the brand’s inception, way back when physical stores were still the name of the pleasure game.
A Look at the Implications of Texas' Potential Big-Box Sex Toy Ban
opinion
A Look at the Implications of Texas' Potential Big-Box Sex Toy Ban
Imagine walking into your local big-box retailer, a place where you’ve come to expect accessibility and convenience, only to find that sexual wellness products — an essential part of your wellness journey — are no longer available. This scenario could soon become a reality in Texas, where a proposed bill aims to ban the sale of these products in mainstream retail spaces.
Identifying, Implementing Adult Retail Tech Solutions to Boost Business
opinion
Identifying, Implementing Adult Retail Tech Solutions to Boost Business
Technology is the great enabler. For nearly every business goal, there’s a tech solution that can help make it achievable. The catch? You can’t do it all — at least not all at once. But you can pick one or two areas to focus on, then execute a strategy that yields results.
Examining the Obstacles of Operating an Adult Business in India
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opinion
Examining the Obstacles of Operating an Adult Business in India
The sexual wellness market in India is projected to experience significant growth in the coming years, yet sex remains taboo in this country of 1.3 billion people. Legal and cultural barriers prevent open discussions around sex.
