Retailers, Remember Mama ... and Mother's Day

This article originally ran in the May 2014 issue of AVN magazine. To see the online issue, click here. Is there an adult mom-and-pop boutique or retail chain in the United States that doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day? Even if it’s something as perfunctory as putting a bit of red and white bunting on shelves with an assortment of lingerie and love potions, most adult retailers will put some effort into seasonal retailing leading up to February 14. The reasons are clear: There is no holiday more closely associated with sex and romance. But these same merchants might forget about what is arguably the second sexiest holiday: Mother’s Day. On its face, Mother’s Day might conjure up images of breakfasts served in bed by doting offspring and spouse. But many moms are looking for something a bit more romantic and daring, and it behooves retailers to come up with sexier alternatives to traditional Mother’s Day gifts. Certainly there was no shortage of inspiration at the recent International Lingerie Show. As the pleasure product industry continues to become more oriented toward couples and women, the number of mom-friendly gifts continues to grow. One ILS attendee who commented on this trend was Ruth Chatfield of MD Science Lab. As someone who has been in the adult business for almost 15 years, she’s seen a tremendous change in the consumers who visit adult shops. At one time, she estimated, adult stores drew a clientele that was 80 percent male, whereas now it’s 80 percent female. Because of that shift, she said, retailers are looking for more high-end products, which is why MD added its Je T’aime Arousal Gels, packaged in elegant white boxes with gold accents. MD Science Labs is hardly alone in manufacturing softer, more romantic toys and other sensual products. And that’s why shopping for Mother’s Day gifts at an adult boutique for is a real option for those looking to please their partners in parenthood. Here are a few methods retailers have employed to encourage Mother’s Day sales: • Bring in a sexpert or sexologist to conduct workshops aimed at mothers or parents. • If you can’t get an event organized, there’s the option of posting informational articles about motherhood and sexuality either on your website or in store displays. A good example is Jamye Waxman’s blog post on the Peekay site Blog.loverspackage.com titled “Make a Mom Really Happy.” In this post Waxman writes, “There are lots of sexy ways to celebrate the mother of your children, or, as a single mother, there are a myriad of ways you can celebrate yourself (it is Masturbation May after all).” • Set up a “mothers only” shopping event with refreshments and product demos to encourage moms to pamper themselves. • Dedicate a prominent section of the store to high-end products that appeal to women. Include couples-friendly vibrators like the We-Vibe 4 and the Fixsation, which can be worn during lovemaking. Include plenty of kits filled with arousal creams and body care products, and a good assortment of “pretty” toys from such manufacturers as Jimmyjane, Jopen, LELO, Fun Factory and Vibratex. And don’t forget the “mommy porn”—Fifty Shades of Grey and its BDSM accouterments. • In addition to stocking those brick-and-mortar shelves, it’s also important to create similar spaces on your website, both by adding in “Mother’s Day gifts” as a product category and by using “Mother’s Day” as a keyword where appropriate. And place graphic elements on the home page to remind shoppers about the upcoming holiday. For more on new items to stock for Mothers Day and beyond, click here for coverage of the International Lingerie Show. For more on motherhood and sexuality, click here for a Q&A with Jaiya, an author, sex educator, and Expert Sexpert at ClubCalExotics.com. Above, a festive floral display adores the Baci Lingerie booth at the spring 2014 ILS.