Most independent retailers couldn't afford to build, host and manage a real ecommerce site well, so we leaned on the distributor's site and accepted the friction.
\n \n \nE-commerce made adult retail accessible, efficient and discreet. But it also made it distant. For years, the industry has leaned heavily on convenience as the primary driver of growth. To be clear, it works.
\n \n \nFor many adult retailers, summer brings a predictable change in customer behavior. Routines shift, travel increases and shopping habits become less steady.
\n \n \nNot long ago, walking into an adult store often felt like stepping into the shadows. Dim lighting, overwhelming product displays and a transactional experience made many of these spaces unwelcoming. For many women, these environments were not designed with comfort, curiosity or empowerment in mind.
\n \n \nEvery long relationship with software hits a point where you realize the tool isn’t exactly what you need. It does what the vendor assumes you need, often created by engineers who have never counted units in a stockroom or looked at countless stockouts and wondered which ones really matter.
\n \n \nOne of Besharam’s earliest customers contacted us three times before placing an order. Not about the product, but about the packaging. “Will anyone know what’s inside?”
\n \n \nTrade shows offer something that catalogs and online browsing can’t match. Seeing, touching and discussing products in person gives you a better sense of how they might perform in your store.
\n \n \nMy PR and marketing work helping adult brands, performers and platforms reach audiences has made one thing very clear. The brands most likely to succeed in the current economic, political and social climate are the ones marketing more than just sex.
\n \n \nIn many industries, press trips are considered desirable but optional — a bonus rather than a core element of a brand’s marketing strategy. In sexual wellness, however, they are essential.
\n \n \nWith 21 locations, I’m pretty much always hiring. Unfortunately, the employment market these days can be chaotic, as candidates send out applications across dozens of job boards with a single click. For managers like me, this results in more time spent sorting through signals and static.
\n \n \nIn today’s retail landscape, social media isn’t optional. It is one of the most essential drivers of product discovery, store traffic and long-term customer loyalty. The retailers seeing the strongest engagement and sell-through today are creating experiences customers want to share.
\n \n \n"This is our bestseller.” “You should get this one instead; it’s stronger.” “This one costs more — but it’s way better!” In adult retail, sweeping statements like these can sound impersonal and make shoppers feel rushed, unseen and unsupported.
\n \n \nSex dolls are high-priced and visually striking, but often misunderstood by first-time buyers. Displayed poorly, they can seem intimidating, gimmicky or off-putting. Displayed well, they become conversation starters, high-quality premium products and confidence-boosting sales opportunities.
\n \n \nWith 21 locations, I’m pretty much always hiring. Unfortunately, the employment market these days can be chaotic, as candidates send out applications across dozens of job boards with a single click. For managers like me, this results in more time spent sorting through signals and static.
\n \n \nInfluencer marketing has evolved over the past several years, and that ripple has extended to the sexual wellness industry. The factors driving the appeal of partnering with influencers — raising awareness and expanding reach — remain just as important as they did when such partnerships first became common.
\n \n \nOne of the most valuable skills in pleasure retail isn’t persuasion — it’s translation. Customers often arrive curious but cautious, unsure of terminology, functions or even what questions to ask. The goal isn’t to overwhelm them with specs or explicit details, but to describe product features in a way that feels approachable, relatable and easy to imagine.
\n \n \nIn adult ecommerce, the marketing landscape never stops shifting. What succeeded brilliantly in March may seem outdated by September. When you look at the bigger picture, however patterns emerge: clear, repeatable paths to strong ROI that remain consistent even as algorithms, platforms and buyer behavior keep changing.
\n \n \nLast month, I outlined the main AI-powered loss prevention options available to businesses: DIY solutions, hosted services and enterprise platforms. This time, I decided to test one out myself. I contacted a cloud video platform that integrates with Lightspeed POS and scheduled a demo.
\n \n \nAdult “creature play” is no longer just a niche novelty. There’s even a term for this kink: teratophilia, meaning sexual attraction to monsters. A heady mix of sensory novelty, curiosity about unfamiliar bodies and potential power dynamics has made lusting after and role-playing mythological creatures more widely accepted. The erotically captivating allure of otherworldly beings has even become prevalent across pop culture, from “True Blood” and “The Shape of Water” to Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and “monster boyfriend” romantasy literature trending on TikTok.
\n \n \nThe recent shift toward supporting pleasure for perimenopausal and menopausal women — a topic once treated as taboo — has clearly been a major breakthrough for the sexual wellness industry. However, there is an equally important yet often neglected market to consider: midlife men.
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