ASB Magazine

By Mike Drake 

A different kind of "adult toy"-- edgy pop-culture products-- further blurs the lines and expands Adult Store Sales

The general public’s increasing acceptance of adult products is both a blessing and a curse. It’s good to see a broader mix of guests, but it’s bad to see more “mainstream” retailers carrying what used to be considered adult product.

It is true that Sears’ catalogs of yesteryear did carry “massagers”, but they were limited to the basic design in white or tan plastic.

Now, Spencer Gifts and other mall staples have a vibrator section prominently displaying Rabbits and other popular vibes. Luring customers away from adult shops may not be their goal, but the inevitable outcome is a dilution of the marketplace.

Ask yourself; if they can carry products that used to be firmly entrenched in adult shops, why don’t we carry theirs?

Adult shops have on occasion flirted with the idea of mainstream product (i.e. Playboy trading cards and porn star action figures) but seldom do they venture into things that can be found in a shopping mall.

Two years ago Playtime in Edison , N.J. , began carrying the Fashion Victims line of dolls. These are “grown up” versions of the popular Living Dead Dolls series. Their first order was a timid single case. They sold out in a week and owner Deirdre Krasner realized she was on to something.

When series two came out she upped her order to a dozen cases and they sold out within a month. Many customers mentioned how surprised they were to find the hip, edgy dolls in an adult shop, while others had never seen the dolls before but were intrigued enough to buy them anyway.

“It all comes down to the quality of the product, and if it’s a good fit with our customers,” says Playtime’s General Manager Nick Smerecki. “Selling toaster ovens in an adult shop wouldn’t make sense, but selling a sexy doll that appeals to adult sensibilities does”.

Other stores have also struck gold with similar products. The Classic Boutique in Collingswood , N.J. , had tremendous success with a set of Family Guy action figures dressed in bondage gear.

“I felt like I was in Wal-Mart” says Classic Boutique sales associate Mark Smith. “We stacked them high and watched them fly! When I saw we had a shipment of action figures I thought the boss had gone crazy, but customers loved them and we sold out of both shipments in under a month.”

Delaware ’s upscale adult shop Birds & Bees had a similar experience. “We carried the Family Guy Mind Elixir soda and it was a huge hit” says B&B sales associate Dana, “what was amazing is that it went on the sales floor mislabeled at $5 a can instead of $2.99, but by the time we realized the goof we had sold three cases!”

Later, both Birds & Bees and Playtime also carried the Family Guy bondage set and had huge success. “To be honest, I don’t think the manufacturer knew we were an adult shop” said Nick Smerecki, “but I don’t really know that they would care. Our money is as good as anybody’s and we’re giving their product exposure to an audience that might not otherwise see it!”

In late October, Smerecki, emboldened by his success with the bondage action figures took an 18-inch Peter Griffin action figure with him to a porn signing.

“The porn stars loved Peter” says Smerecki. “We put pictures of them posing with Peter on our website and were getting almost eighty thousand hits a day! The crossover appeal of Family Guy is amazing”.

What’s coming up for 2006? Both Nick and Dana have high hopes for a new line of figures called VooDooz. Made by Mezco Toys. These “so grotesque they’re cute” voodoo dolls are a twisted take on an ancient superstition. With dolls representing Love, Envy and Vengeance (each standing approximately 8" tall) Nick and Dana feel confident they’ll be attracting new guests to their store.

With a markup considerably lower than most adult products, some adult retailers may wonder if carrying “non adult” product is worthwhile.

The answer is yes.

Hip, edgy products carry a certain cache that builds not only a guest’s comfort level in the store but increases his belief that he or she is “ahead of the curve”. It also helps increase the perception of the store as a “destination” spot.

“Ever since we started carrying weird dolls and Family Guy stuff we’ve seen more new faces every day” says Mark. “We’re definitely growing our customer base!”