Sex Toys find their way to be Recession Proof
You know the old saying, "Sex Sells", well it is true. Even in a recession, the sex toy industry is still holding on and going strong. I recently came across an article on CNBC (of all places) reporting on how America continues to find money in their pockets for sex toys. According to Richard Longhurst, co-founder and co-owner of LoveHoney, "Generally a recession means that people stay at home more." "If you're in a relationship, you need to spend more time with your partner and this often leads to wanting to rekindle or enhance a sexual relationship."
It appears that Buying Sex Toys used to be taboo many years ago. Most people related them with the dirty book stores on the highway with the large flashing XXX sign enticing truckers to stop and take a peek. Of course, the HBO show "Sex and the City" changed all of this with the 1998 scene when "the rabbit" vibrator was introduced to the characters on the show. I guess there was a demand for the device and it made buying sex toys, acceptable. In fact, I had read that Eva Longoria buys all of her friends a rabbit vibrator for their birthdays.
During our current economic times it appears that the sales of sex toys have increased for some sex toy stores. Babeland reported their sales were up 10% in the first half of the year. Lelo, a high-end designer and manufacturer of adult novelties, has seen its business double
every month this year. LoveHoney, another retailer and manufacturer of sex toys, reports a 30% year-to-date increase in sales.
"In a recession, people are seeing that sex is a way to not spend a lot of money," says Claire Cavanah, co-founder of Babeland. "If you buy a sex toy for $150, that's going to buy you a lot more entertainment in the long run than a dinner and a show."
You know $150 seems like a lot of money but I guess most people who are buying these products are willing to pay the high dollar prices in order to get a quality product. For sex toys, it is all about if it will stand the test of time. Manufacturers are seeing the interest and now that the product is in the mainstream they are having to produce quality work. It used to be that most people were embarrassed to purchase such a product and the manufacturers knew that if the toy broke there would be no complaints. Now the consumer is expecting a certain level of quality and the manufacturers are having to design just that.
This was proven with LoveHoney as they embarked on a new trend and unveiled - The Sqweel. Consumers raced to buy this $60 device as LoveHoney reports they sold out of their original shipment of 2,000 in two days. Wow!
Just in case you were curious as to what a Sqweel is.
