AEE Panel: What Consumers Need to Know About Sex Toy Shopping

LOS ANGELES—The all-digital AVN Adult Entertainment Expo featured a pulsating panel with an sex educational talk called “I Think I Know Enough About Products But I’m Not Sure.” This insightful discussion addressed the question “What should a consumer know before they shop for a sex toy?” Industry experts revealed what to look out for before making buying decisions. The panel on January 20 was moderated by the delightful Ducky Doolittle, a sex educator and marketing director of Blush Novelties, who just won AVN’s "O" award for Outstanding Marketing Campaign for Ducky Doolittle’s Education Series. Panelists were Steve Sav, executive marketing director from Evolved Novelties, and Jacq Jones, owner of SugartheShop, an online and brick & mortar store in Baltimore.   The first question posed to the panel was, “Are people doing research before they go to the store?" Jones said, “There are two people who come into the store—the person who does all the research online” and the second person who doesn’t. “It can be an overwhelming experience.”  Also, for the people who do their research online," she said, “They can get 70 billion designs.” “In the store we have different tables. A person doesn’t know where to set their eyes, so we have a table for bullet vibes, rechargeable or plug-in vibes for clits and vaginas, penises, prostates, plus dildos, lube, books, and a table of things for butts. And online we try to have videos," she added, while everyone waits until throbbing in-store traffic returns. “We send salespeople into the stores,” Sav said. “Our whole focus is that 'touchy feely' approach. How do you train that person who works at a store in Iowa, and wants to make a sale? We do heavy training of salespeople.” Sav has worked in the sex toy industry for 25 years, from retail to marketing to production.   The second question was, “Do online reviews affect the ability to learn or impact the customer?”  “I think feedback is great,” Jones said. "The more you tap into different reviews, the more you can learn where your tastes align.” For instance, she said, “If you are someone who likes strong vibration, Epiphora is a good site. If you like a light buzzy vibration, there are also sites to follow. It requires sex toy literacy." Next was the topic of warranties and whether it affects a customer’s purchase. “A five-year warranty is really important,” Sav said. Doolittle added, “With Blush, based on the type of product, we always put a little insert inside in case they have to take it back to the store.” “It used to make a bigger difference,” noted Jones. "But if you have a toy that has a warranty and one that doesn’t they will pick the one that does. Oh, and we always encourage them to take a pic of the receipt.” The panel also talked about “How important is the brand?” “Blush has lots of different lines. You have to find your brand,” Doolittle said. “If you are lucky enough to go to a sex shop, two people working in the shop will have two different opinions." One might like We Vibe and the other prefer Satisfyer, Doolittle added. Next the panel discussed, “Does price have an impact on buying decisions?” “There is good, better, and best,” Sav said. “We have prices that range from $10-$150 retail." "Yes," added Jones. "We have products ranging from $15-$350. It seems that $30-$50 is most people’s sweet spot in the beginning, and then they graduate to higher quality.” Sav added, “You can always upgrade them to a toy cleaner.” To end the talk, the panel was asked “If you could give anyone advice to the first-time shopper what would it be?” “Women and couples go into a sex shop to have a great experience,” Sav said. It’s a date-like situation where the couple should have fun, he noted.   “I want to engage people,” Jones said. “And be a sex toy store who cares about you. It’s hard to do all the work of research. That’s why people turn to stores, so I say to the shopper, 'Let us do it, it’s fine.'" A video of this sweet spot talk can be found here.