ETO Issue 216 - September 2025

Cock Cages

Welcome...

No one wants to wish away the rest of the year, but if you don’t plan in advance, you can’t make the most of upcoming retail opportunities! Even though the sun is still beating down outside as I write, in this issue we’ve been looking at Halloween and Christmas, discussing everything from pumpkin spice lube to butt plug stocking fillers. I’ve also loved talking to store-owners about visual merchandising around these late-in-the-year festivals. (Basically, don’t cobweb the whole shop.)

Features editor Paul Smith has been hard at work discovering the stories behind some of the industry’s specialist brands, profiling Mapalé and The Handy, while I’ve been chatting to a couple of other key names: female-focused sexual wellness company Bijoux Indiscrets, and electrostim pioneer E-Stim Systems.

And our social media columnist Maria Prendeville has taken it back to the old school, discussing why email marketing is still a hugely important way of creating personalised connections with customers.

In the news pages, we talk about the UK’s new age verification regulations (something that’s already standard in France, Germany and other countries). Do you think they’ll have any impact on your business? Have they done so already? Get in touch with us at editorial@erotictradeonly.com and tell us what’s happening.

Finally, EroFame is taking place in Amsterdam at the beginning of October. ETO publisher Jason Dante and I will be there – if you’re attending the expo, I’d love to say hello. Drop me an email if you’ll be there, too.

Imogen Lees – editor

The team...

Jason Dante - CEO/Managing Director jason@erotictradeonly.com

Imogen Lees - Editor editorial@erotictradeonly.com

Paul Smith - Features Editor paul@erotictradeonly.com

Lesley Hunt – Operations Manager lesley@erotictradeonly.com

Rob Parry – Graphic Designer production@erotictradeonly.com

Sarah Murray – Marketing Manager sarah@murray-marketing.co.uk

Advertising advertising@erotictradeonly.com

05 News

08 Events

The industry shows taking place during the next few months.

09 Movers & shakers

Who’s got a new job?

28 All around the world

News stories from across the world.

36 Spotlight: Bijoux Indiscrets

Elsa Viegas, co-founder of wellness and cosmetics brand Bijoux Indiscrets, chats to ETO editor Imogen Lees about the company’s female-focused approach to intimate products.

40 The big idea: E-Stim Systems

As the electrostim company marks its 21st birthday, founders Wayne and Caz Allen talk to Imogen Lees about authenticity, community and ideas.

44 Hello, Halloween

It’s time for monster dildos and costumes to take centre stage in retail, but what about a spot of luxe BDSM or a cute little vibe or two?

48 Spooky shopping

ETO asks some of the industry’s leading experts about in-store visual merchandising during the Halloween period.

50 Mapalé: what’s the story?

ETO features editor Paul Smith uncovers the tale behind the lingerie brand, as well as chatting to Mapalé’s UK distributor, Kevco Wholesale.

54 That’s Handy

The Handy has broken new ground in terms of crowdfunding and design. Paul Smith talks to Jens Petter Wilhelmsen, the man behind the masturbator.

58 All present and correct

From luxury gifting to stocking fillers – and not forgetting the familiar advent calendar – ETO rounds up some of the highlights of this year’s festive delights.

62 Step into Christmas

Giant tree bedecked with dildos, or a curated display? How will you be decorating your store this Christmas season?

64 ANME

Tod Hunter spent a few days at this year’s Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo in Los Angeles, discovering bright colours, bondage ponies and all the upcoming trends.

68 Social intercourse: email still matters Social media may get all the headlines, but email marketing is still a vital, impactful, customisable tool. Maria Prendeville investigates.

70 AAE 2025

ETO publisher Jason Dante was in Hong Kong for this year’s expo, and discovered jewellery-inspired presentation, live rope bondage and a silicone brain.

74 B2B: financial management

Adam Bernstein goes back to basics, outlining everything small-business-owners need to know about budgeting, expenses and cashflow.

76 Mystery shopper: Hamburg

ETO’s reigning monarch of retail travels up and down Reeperbahn (and its surrounding streets) to give us the lowdown on what’s in store in Hamburg.

78 Shop talk

Helen Shepherd from SinSins in Norwich shares her experience of some customers you’ll doubtless instantly recognise…

80 Top 10 best sellers

81 Classified

82 Readers lives

Orion Wholesale’s head of sales and marketing (B2B) Bjorn Radcke chats age verification, app-controlled toys, sports and cheesecake.

8/10 OCTOBER

EROFAME

Amsterdam, Netherlands erofame.eu

23/25 OCTOBER

ERO EXPO Moscow, Russia eroexpo.ru

24/26 October

Exxxotica Edison, NJ, USA exxxoticaexpo.com

5/7 December Exxxotica

Washington DC, USA exxxoticaexpo.com

2026

12/15 January

XBIZ Expo

Los Angeles, CA, USA xbizshow.com

22/25 January

AVN Adult

Entertainment Expo

Las Vegas, NV, USA adultentertainmentexpo.com

20/22 March

Íntimi Expo

São Paolo, Brazil intimiexpo.com.br

17/19 April

API Shanghai Shanghai, China api-expo.com

25/28 April

Lalexpo (Latin American Livecams Expo)

Colombia lalexpo.com

17/19 May

EroSpain

Barcelona, Spain erospain.eu

27/29 May

Eden JapanAdult Expo

Tokyo, Japan

edenadultexpo.jp

Will new UK age verification rules affect our industry?

On 25 July, new rules from the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom came into force which stated that websites operating in the UK with pornographic content must ensure users’ ages are “robustly” checked.

The new regulations are designed to keep children safe from accessing inappropriate content and require users of porn sites to verify their ages via methods including selfies, credit card checks and photo ID matching. Websites ignoring the new laws could face heavy fines.

The emphasis placed on the new regulations focused on young people not viewing porn, but we should also be aware of any potential implications for our industry, and consider how online content is presented.

The Ofcom rules

Ofcom’s Guidance on Content Harmful to Children contains a section on page 19 about “Descriptions and examples of content that are not pornographic”. This covers “Marketing material and depictions used for the promotion and sale of sex toys and sexual wellness products”. Examples of

appropriate content given by Ofcom are: “Depictions that focus on a sex toy or sexual wellness product ‘as is’ rather than ‘in use’, and that do not show full frontal nudity or genitalia”, and “Descriptions of the efficacy and features of sex toys or sexual wellness products, that are designed for the promotion, sale and/or consumption of the product, rather than sexual arousal”. However, some distributors’ websites are already impacted by Google’s safe search feature, which blocks sites from featuring in some adult searches.

Physical retail shops

As far as retail is concerned, stores with a council licence for their

physical premises already require customers who don’t appear to be 18 to prove their age. And, as we know, sexual wellness products are available on the shelves of mainstream high-street retailers, more visually obvious than tobacco. Perhaps the other consideration for retailers is the impact of recent cyber attacks. Adult users of pornographic sites may potentially be reluctant to give out highly personal information.

In the next print edition of ETO, we’ll be looking at how these new regulations have affected retail – is there scope for a potential upturn in DVD sales, for example? If your business has been affected by the new regulations, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at editorial@erotictradeonly.com

Crystal clear: Satisfyer unveils new glass dildos

Satisfyer has boosted its glass dildo range with the Triple Crystal 1 and Dazzling Crystal 2.

The Triple Crystal 1 is a glass dildo featuring three different shafts for vaginal and anal stimulation as well as sensual massaging. The long, narrow end gives users the opportunity for vaginal penetration, while the tapered plug is aimed at

anal stimulation. Finally, the small smooth ball has been designed for massaging. The dildo is hygienic, easy to clean and features a broad base. It can be used by all genders. Meanwhile, the Dazzling Crystal 2 is a double-sided toy offering users fine grooves on one end and delicate nubs on the other. The grooved shaft features additional

ridges for a sleek look and feel. The lightweight vibe can be used as a G-Spot massager, stimulator at the vaginal entrance or for deeper penetration.

Both dildos are made from borosilicate glass, so they’re shatterproof, heat-resistant and suitable for temperature play. Find out more at satisfyer.com

Playharda’s pair of distribution deals

Over the summer, Playharda Wholesale secured two major new distribution deals.

In July, the company revealed that it had become the UK distributor for Secret Dome, the portable bondage cabinet creator featured in ETO’s May/June issue (page 68).

Secret Dome’s cabinets offer users portability, discretion and convenience. The company also produces lightweight but strong BDSM and bondage furniture, targeting both professional dungeons and home playrooms.

“We believe that Secret Dome have come up with a truly unique product,” said Daniel Miller of Playharda Wholesale. “It’s not often

that we see a new brand making such an impact within the industry, but Secret Dome is certainly one of the most anticipated and wanted brands of the year! We’re thrilled to be partnering with Secret Dome to offer it to retailers in the UK.”

In September, Playharda announced that it would be distributing a selection of Pure Envy products in the EU and the UK. The range includes Pure Envy’s Petal Pleasure Rose clitoral stimulator, the Wildlife collection of stimulators in playful animal designs, the Perfect Position Pillow (which helps users to find their ideal intimacy positions), the Joystick vibrating wand, and the compact, three-toys-

in-one Dot stimulator with interchangeable heads.

Miller said: “This collaboration is a natural fit for Playharda Wholesale and our retail partners. Pure Envy’s commitment to quality and innovation aligns perfectly with our mission to provide retailers with the best products on the market. We’re thrilled to bring their exceptional lineup to our customers.”

Playharda Wholesale says that the collection has been curated for retail environments, with complementary products that naturally pair together, so stores can easily create displays.

To find out more about either product range, visit playharda.uk

Wild Flower launches accessible Enby 3

Wild Flower has revealed its Enby 3 vibrator. The queer-owned pleasure-brand aims to create gender-free toys that challenge assumptions about gender, anatomy and the experience of pleasure. Another of its products, the Enby 2, has featured in design exhibitions at the V&A in London, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Designed with community input, the Enby 3 is an accessible silicone vibe with two motors and a remote control designed for people with

limited grip or dexterity.

“Enby 3 is the version we always dreamed of making,” said Wild Flower founder Nick Boyajian. “It took years of learning from our community and pushing technical boundaries, but we finally did it — and we made it for everyone.”

See more at wildflowersex.com

Anthony Darling has joined Creative Conceptions’ UK and EU sales team as business development manager.

“I’ve always had a passion for sales, account management, and business development,” said Darling. “My career began in the hotel industry before evolving through sectors like furniture and supplements. For the past 15 years, I’ve been immersed in the world of video games, working with global powerhouses such as PlayStation and Capcom.

“One of the things I’ve loved most throughout my journey is collaborating with people from all over the world: understanding different markets, building lasting relationships, and representing brands at international trade shows.

“I’m incredibly proud to now be part of Creative Conceptions. It’s an exciting new industry for me, and I feel lucky to be working with such a talented and passionate team. I’m looking forward to playing a part in the company’s continued growth and building on the fantastic work already achieved.”

Movers and Shakers

Marc van Boven leaves EQOM; Anneke Kamphuis is interim CEO

EQOM CEO Marc van Boven stepped down from his role on 1 September. The company said: “Following an intensive and rewarding period within the organization, Van Boven has decided to pursue a new career opportunity closer to his home in the western part of the Netherlands.”

Marc van Boven was appointed CEO on 1 July 2024, and during his tenure, the EQOM Group consolidated its structure with the aim of entering a new growth phase. He said: “It has been a remarkable journey to help shape the important and often underestimated mission that EQOM represents. We have taken steps towards strengthening our leading position, and I am proud of the foundation now in place. I wish the EQOM Group and its dedicated, talented team a successful and prosperous future.”

EQOM’s portfolio includes brands such as EasyToys, Amorelie, Kondomeriet, Nytelse, and Adam & Eve. Its wholesale division One-DC recently merged with Eropartner.

As of 1 September, Anneke Kamphuis, the company’s chief B2C officer, assumed the role of interim CEO, focusing on expanding the data team, further optimising the shared services organisation and opening a satellite office in Hilversum. She said: “I look forward to continuing to build on the strong organisation we have in place. Together with the team, we aim to enter the next phase of growth and bring EQOM even closer to our customers.”

Lovense releases beginnerfriendly Lush Mini

Lovense has launched the newest member of its Lush series, the Lush Mini, a remote-controlled G-Spot vibrator. With a compact, beginner-friendly design, the Lush Mini is aimed at those using pleasure products for the first time or users looking for a travel-friendly toy.

The body-positive, ergonomically designed Lush Mini has a 31mm insertable element and delivers deep, powerful vibrations to target the G-Spot. It comes with a customisable, multi-coloured tail light and is powered by an ultra-quiet motor. Its fast-charge technology means that only seven minutes’ charge time provides up

to an hour of play.

Lush Mini integrates with the Lovense Remote App, so users are able to create customised vibration patterns, sync vibrations to music or interactive content, or enjoy long-distance play.

“At Lovense, we’re all about making pleasure accessible, meaningful and empowering for everyone,” said Dan Liu, Lovense CEO. “With Lush Mini, we wanted to create something that caters to both beginners and experienced users, offering a truly personalised experience.

is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to innovation, putting control and intimacy directly in the hands of our users.” See more at lovense.com

Lucky seven: Full Circle unveils Grinders

Full Circle has launched the Grinders collection, which includes seven vibes designed for wearable and handheld play, and with shapes created to target users’ erogenous zones.

The Grinders lineup features seven distinct designs. OMG! features textured vibrating nubs for clit stimulation, a ridged insertable piece, nine intensity options and a remote control. Then there’s OHH!, powered by dual motors and offering users nine vibration modes. It’s designed to be wearable, and has a clip to keep it in place.

WOW! gives users dual vibrating action, plus a textured, nubbed

head and nine escalating modes. YES! targets the clitoris and features a butterfly pattern. Gezora is inspired by fantasy themes, and combines vibrating rolling beads with textured grooves that mimic the appearance of suckers on a tentacle. It has nine rolling and vibration speeds to target the clitoris, vagina and anus. Ibiza gives users 10 vibration modes, while Daydream comes with satin panties with adjustable ties (for multi-sizing option) and a remote control. Every product in the collection is waterproof and USB-rechargeable, and Full Circle describes the

packaging as “eye-catching” for retail display.

“Today’s consumers crave toys to explore solo and couples’ fantasies in all kinds of scenarios, and the Grinders collection offers that versatility,” said Briana Watkins, VP of sales and marketing at Full Circle.

“Whether used as a discreet panty vibe or a handheld stimulator, each style in the line was created to fit seamlessly into diverse pleasure routines. We’ve combined exciting textures, shapes, and technology to bring shoppers a new level of multi-erogenous exploration.”

There’s more information at shopfullcircle.com

Lush Mini

Eco-conscious Nappex launches the Manu

Nappex has launched the Manu, a couples’ toy designed for mutual play, connection and climax. The vibrating cock ring also offers clitoral stimulation via a powerful motor.

Made from body-safe waterproof silicone, Manu offers users up to 90 minutes’ play on a full charge and has a remote control for ease of use. Nappex was founded in 2021 in Amsterdam and has a focus on responsible production: packaging is compact (with the aim of reducing logistics costs), printed on FSC-certified recycled paper, and

doesn’t contain plastic inserts. Printed manuals have also been replaced by digital documents in order to save paper. Packaging currently includes nine languages, with the aim of covering all EU languages by the end of 2025. Product information also contains country-specific recycling regulations.

Jennifer from the Nappex team said: “Our mission is to take premium sex toy engagement to the next level. For consumers, that means helping them to ‘Get it on’ and explore their desires with

confidence – supported before, during, and after the sale.

“For retailers, we aim to be a flexible and reliable partner. We offer tailored POS materials –including door stickers, QR-based content, displays, product explainers, and shop training – to help you better inform and convert customers.

Whether you need custom posters or online assets, we’re here to support you.”

For more information about stocking Nappex, email sales@nappex.com

Zing! New Arcwave toy is “a complete sensory system”

Arcwave has launched Zing, a new vibrating masturbator that the brand says “sets a new standard in intensity, precision, and satisfaction”.

Zing is designed for customisable play; its dual-motor design and ability to be finely tuned work together to give users a more personalised experience beyond standard vibration and tapping.

Powered by dual We-Vibe motors, Zing offers users 10 patterns and 10 levels of intensity. Its open-sleeve, flexible design is suitable for different body types and penis sizes

– Zing also comes with an adjustable tightness band so users can tailor fit and pressure to suit their individual needs.

Suitable for solo and partnered play, Zing is made from Arcwave’s CleanTech silicone (which the brand says is more hygienic and longer-

lasting than traditional TPE).

Verena Singmann, Arcwave’s head of PR, said: “Zing is engineered to outperform and outlast your run-of-the-mill stroker. It’s not just another vibrator; it’s a complete sensory system that makes traditional strokers feel outdated.”

Before refining and launching Zing, Arcwave conducted research into male behaviour.

The brand commissioned a survey of 3,914 men in February 2025, which reported that 65.5 percent of respondents said they engaged in solo self-pleasure at least once a week.

Arcwave took from this a need to create products that the brand says “go beyond basic

stimulation”. Furthermore, the brand also researched solo and couples’ play. A user test with 33 participants before the launch of Zing revealed than more than half of those taking part used Zing with a partner.

Discover more at arcwave.com

Antonia Pappas becomes Eldorado’s purchasing director

Eldorado Trading Company has promoted Antonia Pappas to director of the purchasing department. Pappas joined Eldorado in 2022, starting as an events manager in the marketing department before crossing to the purchasing department to take on the lead lingerie buyer role.

During the year and a half in which she’s been lead lingerie buyer, Pappas has brought many boutique brands into Eldorado’s catalogue and helped Eldorado to expand into new market sectors. Pappas replaces Jon Vogt as purchasing director, who retired at the end of June.

Eldorado VP Preston Garland said: “Antonia has shown herself to be a true asset to the purchasing department and Eldorado. I think her relationships with our vendors will enable us to secure access to the best products, and her ability to work between departments will ensure that our vendors can rely on Eldorado to provide the highest level of service. I’m excited to see what she accomplishes.”

On her promotion, Pappas said: “It’s only through the support and encouragement from the Eldorado Family and our Industry Partners that I was able to reach this point in my career. I’m excited to use my background in strategic sourcing, product development, and relationship building to help Eldorado grow and thrive in the market. The interdepartmental team dynamics at Eldorado get stronger every day, and I’m thrilled to get to be a part of the leadership team that will grow them at Eldorado as we embark on our next 50 years.” Sept / Oct 2025

Movers and Shakers

Stefanie Neumann joins Full Circle as sales account executive

Stefanie Neumann has joined Full Circle as sales account executive.She brings 12 years of frontline retail leadership, buying expertise and sex education credentials to the role.

Neumann is a licensed sex educator, former buyer, district manager and staff trainer. She is known for elevating bricks-and-mortar stores into sexual health and wellness destinations, putting customer care, inclusive education and curated product selections first and foremost.

“Stefanie has lived the realities of the sales floor and the back office – she understands traffic patterns, merchandising, staff training, and what it takes to turn browsers into loyal customers,” said Mike Savage, founder of Full Circle. “As a family company, we value relationship builders. Stefanie’s blend of empathy, data-driven buying and education-first leadership will help our retail partners sell-through faster and smarter.”

At Full Circle, Neumann will manage key accounts and explore new business, plus serving as a retail operations liaison.

“I fell in love with this industry the day I took a part-time job behind the counter,” Neumann said. “What began as a way to support my college studies became a calling. I’ve always believed that every guest deserves options, clear information, and zero judgment. Joining Full Circle lets me scale that mission –supporting retailers with smart assortments, authentic education, and a partner they can actually reach when they need help.”

Le Wand’s new range makes pleasure more accessible

Le Wand has unveiled four new dual-stim vibrators which the brand has pitched to bridge the gap between premium pleasure and accessibility. The new collection is aimed to address growing consumer demand for multi-functional toys that combine affordability with high performance, and it’s aimed at both solo users and couples. Each vibrator in the collection offers at least two unique modes of stimulation, and some designs integrate three forms of sensation into one product.

Le Wand Flat Top Fusion G is a compact dual-ended design with external stimulation and a textured G-Spot tip. Le Wand Lick features a lifelike silicone “tongue,” removable suction cup, and a G-Spot massager handle. Le Wand Thrust is a thrusting rabbit vibrator that synchronies internal motion and external vibration. Le Wand Hither is a rocking rabbit design offering what the brand calls a “come hither” motion as well as deep clitoral vibrations.

Alicia Sinclair, CEO and founder of Le Wand, said: “At Le Wand, we

believe that luxury pleasure should be attainable to more people.

The Dual Stimulation collection is designed to cater to a whole host of preferences for both single pleasure seekers and couples, while keeping price points accessible. We’re offering consumers the chance to explore premium features, innovative designs, and of course, body-safe materials without the luxury price tag.”

The collection can be ordered through Kimberly Faubel at COTR: kim@cotrinc.com

Elegance meets attitude at Alterego

Ballerina has released La Femme, its newest collection of hold-ups and tights, with the tagline “where elegance meets attitude”.

Now available at Alterego, the collection celebrates strength, style and sensuality, combining bold designs with luxurious materials. A spokesperson for Alterego said:

“Lace finishes in shades of sapphire blue, deep navy and bottle green give every piece a unique character. The La Femme collection blends classic elegance with modern design, where traditional lace meets contemporary style. It is designed for women who are not afraid of challenges and want to feel exceptional in every moment.”

The tights and hold-ups are made of materials that ensure ease of wear throughout the day. The complete collection is held at Alterego’s UK warehouse. There are no minimum order quantities, and the range is also available for dropshipping.

For more information, email customerservices@alteregolingerie.com

Orion gets flexible with new plug

New to Orion Wholesale’s Anos range is the RC Vibrating Butt Plug with Flexible Arms, which offers users deep vibrations in the tip and anus vibrations in its tapered part.

Made of soft silicone, the cone-shaped plug is easy to insert and its anchor-shaped arms mean it shouldn’t slide in too far. The tapered part can be squeezed together. It’s powered by a quiet motor that offers users 10 vibration modes and

the remote control can adjust the combined vibrations in the tip and the tapered part. The remote control has an 8m range, allowing for partnered play. The plug itself is waterproof and USB-rechargeable and can also be controlled using a button on the toy. It’s 10.2cm (4 inches) long, with an insertable length of 8cm (3.15”), weighing 91g (3.2oz).

See more at orion-wholesale.com

Puissante upgrades Coco to 2.0

Puissante has upgraded its Coco vibrator with the collaboration of its users.

Launched in 2021, Coco was Puissante’s first vibrator: a dual-stimulation toy featuring suction for the external clitoral area and vibration for the internal G-Spot zone. It’s waterproof, made from phthalate- and latex-free silicone, and comes in blue or pink. It’s powered by two separate motors and has 10 levels of vibration.

The brand is aimed at women – it says it offers “simple, accessible, natural solutions, designed by women for women”. Drawing on user experience, version 2.0 of Coco now has lower-frequency vibrations, a more comfortable grip and (+) and (-) buttons for each function to give users easier, more intuitive navigation. For more information, see puissante.co

20250813_EGG_2025_ETO_ol.pdf 1 2025/08/13 10:59

Rocks Off debuts two rechargeable bullets

Rocks Off has launched two new rechargeable bullets – the 90mm (3.5-inch) toys offer 16 functions: a combination of three constant and 13 patterns of vibration. Available in Poppy Red with a silky soft touch finish and Golden Rose with a glossy metallic finish, they’re fully waterproof and a full charge gives users up to 45 minutes’ playtime. They’re available directly from Rocks Off via sales@rocks-off.com

Bag of tricks: Rubber Shock’s Neo BondBag comes to Dusedo

Rubber Shock’s Neo BondBag, now available via Dusedo, is aimed at users seeking total encasement. The full-body sleepsack is made of premium neoprene – the wearer will be comfortable in smooth stretchy material but will simultaneously be completely restrained. The jet-black neoprene design is eye-catching, and internal arm pockets and a robust back zip create total immobilisation without needing any other equipment. Two-way zips at the chest and crotch allow controlled access. The Neo BondBag is also designed to work with gags, cuffs, hoods and other BDSM accessories. It comes in five sizes, S-XXL.

“The Neo BondBag is more than just bondage gear,” said a Dusedo spokesperson.

“It’s a statement piece that sparks curiosity, drives engagement, and increases basket value. Whether you spotlight it as the centrepiece of your fetish section or integrate it into deluxe bondage kits, it delivers both visual impact and profit potential.” Find out more at dusedo.com

It all becomes clear at Creative Conceptions

Creative Conceptions has launched a new range of glass toys: Clarity. The collection features five distinctive styles designed to meet users’ needs from G-spot stimulation to realistic dildos, anal plugs, and prostate play.

The seven Celestial toys are curvaceous and double-ended. The five Hera pieces feature a handle device. Seraphic is a range of seven freestanding phalluses. The four pieces in the Elysian range are dual-ended with a straight shaft. Finally, there are seven Utopian toys, all about the anal action. Each piece in the Clarity collection has been handblown from high-quality borosilicate glass, a material renowned for its durability and safety. Each toy is strong, non-porous, hypoallergenic and

safe for long-term use. Borosilicate glass also facilitates temperature play: it can be gently warmed or cooled.

Creative Conceptions founder Jane Bowles said: “After 25 years in the pleasure industry, I’ll admit there was always one category of toy that left me curious, and that was glass. I wondered what the attraction really was, what made people so passionate about it. Was it simply aesthetic, or was there something deeper at play? Now, after developing our new Clarity range, I finally understand.”

The beauty of handblown glass lies not only in its appearance but also in its sensation – the strength, the smoothness, the versatility of temperature play, and the sheer elegance of the experience. With Clarity, the appeal of glass has

never been clearer.”

All the toys in the range are presented in dual-windowed pearlescent packaging and, for brick-and-mortar stores,

Creative Conceptions has created a light-up mirrored point-of-sale display. Customers can also receive complimentary branded Clarity bags with their purchases.

Creative Conceptions will also soon be introducing branded vanity mirrors, available as an additional gift with purchase.

Jane Bowles added: “Having worked with the team developing Clarity, I have realised one thing is certain: glass toys are far more than a passing curiosity. They stand as essentials – elegant, durable, and endlessly versatile.”

Find out more by emailing sales@creativeconceptions.co.uk

Badger Blades bring all the feels

The Dungeon Store has introduced its made-in-house Badger Blades, which work with violet wands.

The conductive pleasure product –aimed at sensual play and electro play – is made to be gripped in the hand, while using a conductive body cable on a violet wand. Three conductive polymer blades extend from the handle, giving the user the appearance of having long claws. Electric sensations are more intense at the tips, but soften when spread across the lengths of the blades. The blades are not sharp, and come in a cloth pouch.

Anne Bryne, founder and co-owner of the women-owned family business The Dungeon Store, said:

“We make Badger Blades in house as one of many violet wand toys in

the electrical play of a violet wand.”

Brittany Wilson, The Dungeon Store’s sales and marketing director, added:

stocking Badger Blades, email Brittany Wilson on sales@thedungeonstore.com

To the moon and back: Tsuki joins the iroha family

The newest member of Tenga’s iroha family of vibes is the Tsuki (pronounced “ski”), inspired by the moon. The curvy, wave-shaped insertable toy has been designed to fit the contours of the female body and its outer casing is made from iroha’s Soft-Touch silicone. It’s available in three colours: Mikazuki (soft yellow), Minamo (soft blue) and Nadeshiko (pink). The soft tip and flexible body allow users to enjoy massage-like sensations as well as deeper sensual pleasure across five vibration strengths and three intensities. In addition to a single-button control, the toy features an anti-dust coating and is waterproof up to 50cm. It offers users 90 minutes’ run time on full power following a two-hour charge. Tsuki is influenced by Japanese heritage. A Tenga spokesperson said: “The word Tsuki means ‘moon’ in Japanese, and in Japanese culture symbolises subtle beauty and quiet reflection. It is under this concept that the iroha Tsuki invites its users to embrace their pleasure with the same sense of calm and wonder as the tranquillity and

serenity of the moon. The slender, tapered shape of the iroha Tsuki furthermore curves like a crescent moon in the sky whilst its undulating wave design mirrors the moon’s reflection rippling across a calm surface.”

Rika Adachi, iroha’s marketing manager, added: “The iroha Tsuki continues iroha’s mission to empower women through self-care and intimate wellness, blending elegant design with innovative functionality. As with a number of iroha’s pleasure items, the iroha Tsuki draws its inspiration from the breathtaking beauty of Japanese nature, offering a unique blend of cultural heritage and cutting-edge technology. As we continue to help more women enjoy self-pleasure with confidence and comfort, the iroha Tsuki will set new standards in the world of sexual wellness”.

See more at tenga.co

Harness the power of Mina

There are three new additions to Net1on1 Wholesale’s Mina harness collection. Lustre, Shimmer and Eclipse are strap-on harnesses designed with a focus on versatility, style and comfort. The Mina collection is geared towards diverse needs and preferences, so each harness offers an adjustable fit to accommodate a range of body types from UK size 6 (54cm) to UK size 28 (130cm). Two secure and adjustable belts ensure a snug and secure fit. The harnesses also include an extender which can double as a bondage restraint.

Control. Tease.

with rings, spacers and locks so users can find their perfect fit, while the remote control can be operated by the wearer or a partner. The Electro Cock Cage is now available from Scala.

The cage is lined with soft, conductive silicone, which delivers electro pulses to the user’s most sensitive zones – as dictated by the controller. The wireless remote allows switching between modes, raising or lowering intensity, and choosing exactly when the cage goes from quiet to intense.

A Scala spokesperson said: “Whether it’s soft teasing or total surrender, this toy gives couples full control over the build-up, the climax and everything in between.”

See more at scala-nl.com

Each harness comes with two interchangeable O-rings, and behind the ring there’s a pocket that allows for the insertion of a bullet vibrator. Elastic holders on the sides of the harnesses provide a place to keep lube, remote controls and other essentials. All the harnesses are compatible with the Mina silicone dildo range and have been designed with pegging in mind.

The Lustre is shiny pink, while the Shimmer has a holographic finish. The Eclipse is an elegant black.

Net1on1 Wholesale senior sales

executive Danielle Warn said: “We are incredibly excited to introduce the Lustre, Shimmer, and Eclipse harnesses to our B2B partners. These new additions to the Mina range embody our commitment to quality, innovation and understanding the evolving desires of the modern consumer. We are confident that these harnesses will be a significant asset to our partners' product portfolios, driving sales and customer satisfaction.”

To view prices or place an order, see 1on1wholesale.co.uk

Rock n roll: Satisfyer launches

non-vibrating toy that promises users “an entirely new way to play”.

Suitable for solo and partnered play, and using a combination of rhythmic tapping and rolling motions, the toy targets clitoral stimulation with 35 possible permutations of five rolling speeds, five tapping intensities and 25 (5x5) combinations.

The “rolling” element of the toy comes from a moveable ball concealed beneath Tap & Roll’s silicone surface. A spokesperson for Satisfyer said: “[The ball] dives under the velvety-soft, silicone surface and glides forwards and backwards – or combines both for an intense game of rhythm and depth, completely without classic vibration.”

Made from soft, body-safe silicone, Tap & Roll is IPX7-waterproof, USB-rechargeable and easy to clean (using water and a mild

Creative Conceptions becomes exclusive UK distributor for Honey Play Box

More than 30 of Honey Play Box’s bestselling SKUs will now be exclusively distributed across the UK by Creative Conceptions. “With over 20 years of experience in the adult industry and key retail and adult contacts, the partnership came as a natural fit,” said Vincent Renou, Honey Play Box’s global sales director, “broadening the horizon for Honey Play Box and bringing their incredible toys to a wider UK audience with next-day availability.”

“We were first attracted to the Honey Play Box Brand when we saw them in California early this year,” commented Brad Taylor, Creative Conceptions’ head of global sales. “Particularly impressive is the Honey Play Box app that, when in voice-activated mode, is like having an amorous

Alexa or sensual Siri at your fingertips and we were keen to be able to offer the brand’s top selling, unique and most innovative lines to our UK customers.”

The Honey Play Box app offers users the chance to track health and sexual wellness, while the internet connection facilitates remote play anywhere in the world. Among the product selection now available at Creative Conceptions are Honey Box’s signature vibrators, massagers, dildos, male strokers, anal toys, cock rings, and kegel balls. The Oly 2 is an app-enabled wearable dual-stim vibe. The Pearl is seashell-shaped, discreet and can be worn in the panties. The Joi Thrust 2 combines clitoral stimulation with G-Spot thrusting. To find out more, email sales@creativeconceptions.co.uk

Let’s

get together: Electric Novelties

unveils

four new couples’ toys

Electric Novelties debuted four new additions to its Together range at ANME.

The Together range is aimed at couples play, and each product in the collection is focused on shared sensation and dual stimulation. The first new item is the Lock-In Dual-Ended Vibrating Strap-On and Harness Set. It’s a sleek, contoured, fully adjustable set aimed to promote mutual pleasure via a dual-ended design that delivers targeted vibration to the wearer and their partner.

Double Tap is harness-free, connecting its two flexible shafts via a round central base. Both partners can enjoy movement and pressure (and clitoral stimulation) via deep vibration and rhythmic tapping. The Tri Delight offers both internal and external stimulation to its users. One end is a classic rabbit G-Spot and clit stim, while the other is a wand.

Finally, Blended Pleasure offers users three kinds of stimulation. A curved, ridged G-Spot shaft is paired with two anal stimulators

(one’s a classic butt plug while the other is smaller, for beginners). The three arms vibrate in unison and can be controlled via a wireless remote. An Electric Novelties representative said: “The response to the newest Together products at ANME was incredible. Buyers were excited to see toys that truly centre shared pleasure – whether that’s through dual-ended designs, hands-free options, or creative stimulation features.”

See more at ElectricNovelties.com

The Joi Thrust 2

The Oly 2

The Pearl

Alterego adds to YesX collection

Alterego has added new corsets to its YesX collection – and they all double as both underwear and outerwear (especially clubwear).

The YesX YX886 (pictured left) is an elegant black brocade corset featuring a vintage-Inspired waist cinch with satin trim. The sweetheart neckline is framed by

satin ruffle trim and a centre bow.

The corset features a front busk closure and internal boning to create an hourglass shape.

The YX889 (right) is a leather-look corset-inspired crop top featuring supportive shoulder straps, structured seams and an adjustable lace-up back.

These YesX corsets are priced between £34.99 and £49.99 and are available in sizes XS-6XL. Alterego has more than 200 designs in stock all available now, with no minimum orders and same-day dispatch from a UK-based warehouse.

Arcwave Ion 2 promises orgasm “traditional toys cannot deliver”

New from Arcwave is the Ion 2, a masturbator that uses the brand’s Pleasure Air tech to target intense airwaves at the sensitive area around the tip of the user’s penis (the F-Spot). The company says: “Arcwave Ion 2 brings men closer than ever to the full-body intensity of a female orgasm.”

Rather than a textured sleeve and vibrations, Arcwave Ion 2 uses air to stimulate the F-Spot to give what the brand calls “a deeper, more powerful climax that hands or traditional toys cannot deliver”. Ion 2 also features Autopilot mode: it has three preset patterns (low, medium and high) and alternates randomly between intensity levels to give users a spontaneous experience. The toy’s Smart Silence feature activates the device on skin contact and powers down immediately when that contact is lost, meaning users

don’t need to search for buttons or controls.

Arcwave Ion 2 also introduces a new look for the brand, which Arcwave describes as: “More direct, more unapologetic and sexier. The brand’s colours now live in the tension between hot and cold, symbolizing the intensity of pleasure, designed to excite customers and standing out on the shelves.”

Verena Singmann, Arcwave’s head of PR, said: “Arcwave Ion 2 isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a new category of male pleasure. We have taken our bestselling technology and what we have learned from female pleasure, combined it with anatomical science and innovation and created a pleasure product that is truly game-changing for men.” Find out more at arcwave.com

dildos as part of its Naturally Yours collection. Glamour, Bling and Gala are translucent toys with a flexible but firm feel and harness-compatible suction cup bases. Made from body-safe materials, they’re easy to clean and designed to add a touch of sparkle to pleasure.

“These toys are inspired by the glitz and glam of award season,” said a Blush representative. “Whether you’re looking for a scene-stealing solo performance or a dazzling duet, Glamour, Bling and Gala are designed to help you shine.”

Discover more at

tropical

Sunny days, gentle ocean breezes and pina coladas are the inspiration for Exposed by Magic Silk’s collection, Carribean Crush. The garments are made from scallop-trimmed lace and delicate mesh, accented with satin bow details and gold hardware, all in a sea aqua glow colourway.

There are four styles: Demi Bra and Thong with High Garter; Flutter Baby Doll and Thong; Demi Longline Bra and Panty, and Flutter Cami and Short Set. They’re all available in sizes S/M, L/XL and Queen (fits 1-3X). Each set comes with a free sample of Classic Brands Coochy shave cream – unsurprisingly, in Island Paradise scent.

Discover more at magicsilk.com

Sportsheets adds to Peaches ’N CreaMe collection

Sportsheets has added 13 items to its Peaches ’N CreaMe collection, and the brand says it pre-sold 55 percent of inventory before the official 18 August launch date.

The new lines include feather ticklers and a plush fuzzy sensory glove and the entire collection retails at less than US$31.99.

Kelly Sofferman, executive vice-president of Sportsheets, said:

“When we launched Peaches ’N CreaMe last year, we knew it would be a hit – but the sell-through and retailer enthusiasm have completely surpassed what we imagined. These 13 new items give our customers even more ways to indulge, while keeping the same approachable price points that have made the collection a top performer.”

Sylvia Lopez, regional sales rep for the brand, added: “Retailers can’t

keep the original SKUs in stock, and we expect the new additions to fly off shelves just as quickly. From soft-touch silicone to playful sensory pieces, this line makes it easy for stores to introduce customers to new experiences they’ll love.”

Find out more at sales@sportsheets.com

Anime-inspired Fleshlight joins CC’s lineup

Anime-inspired original character

Evie Akashiya is now part of the Fleshlight range available at Creative Conceptions. With character-led, visually striking intimacy products becoming more popular, Evie Akashiya is designed to appeal to fans of cosplay, gaming and anime. She’s an original character with an anime-inspired aesthetic: fiery red hair, green eyes, and a bold, flirtatious personality. Evie’s model has been made using Fleshlight’s realistic-feeling SuperSkin material and features an

exclusive internal texture. The product has a discreet pearlescent case with ergonomic grip, a removable sleeve for easy cleaning, and is 100% phthalate-free. Each product comes with a complimentary lube sachet.

A Creative Conceptions spokesperson said: “Evie offers a new layer of storytelling and imagination to the Fleshlight experience – perfect for customers seeking more than just function from their pleasure products. For retailers, the Evie Akashiya Fleshlight

Fantasy represents a high-impact SKU that bridges the gap between adult retail and fan-favourite fantasy culture. Visually engaging, digitally relevant, and backed by Fleshlight’s proven brand reputation, this product is built to deliver on-shelf standout, strong conversion, and customer retention.”

For more information contact your Creative Conceptions representative or email sales@creativeconceptions.co.uk

XR introduces Jock Enhancers

XR Brands has launched Jock Enhancers, a premium collection of silicone sleeves, extensions and rings.

The Vibrating Realistic Penis Extensions are made from body-safe silicone and are available in three skin tones. XR claims that they add 1.5 inches (3.8cm) of length and 35 percent more girth. Each sleeve features a remote-controlled 10-speed vibrating bullet and can be easily trimmed for a custom fit.

The Hyper Thrusting and Vibrating Anal Plug with C-Ring is aimed at users looking for discreet, all-day

stimulation. It combines remotecontrolled thrusting with a stretchy silicone ring. It’s powered by three separate motors and the plug is a beginner-friendly size.

XR claims that the Double Thrust Thrusting and Vibrating C-Ring is “the industry’s first wearable, thrusting, rechargeable doublepenetrator”. It’s designed for hands-free use: the remotecontrolled silicone ring stretches around the penis and testes while the thrusting secondary shaft delivers penetration to both partners. Finally, the Rumbler Vibrating and Warming C-Ring is a flexible

silicone ring featuring a warming function alongside remotecontrolled vibrations.

An XR spokesperson said: “Designed with both pleasure and practicality in mind, these highquality enhancers offer effective support for ED – without the risks of unregulated pills, supplements, or costly surgical options.”

XR is also offering sales support material including signage, testers and tester holders. Contact your XR sales rep or email info@xrbrands.com for more details.

Orion Wholesale offers marketing support and same-day shipping

Orion Wholesale is offering B2B customers a range of sales and marketing material to support both bricks-and-mortar and online stores.

In addition to customised presentational point of sale materials (including carrier bags, posters and displays), Orion Wholesale also offers B2B customers in-store design assets including a slatwall system. “The slatwall system enables flexible wall and shelf designs”, said Jana Michalke, marketing manager at Orion Wholesale. “Magnetic strips allow the images/ advertisements to be changed quickly, while shelves, hooks or trays can be added individually.”

The layouts for the magnetic panels are created for each specific customer by Orion Wholesale's in-house marketing department –large wall and shop window designs can also be produced. “Our customers are increasingly making use of the latter”, said Michalke. “After all, an attractive shop window arouses the interest of retail

customers and often has a large influence on whether they enter a shop or not. This is particularly important when it comes to potential new customers.”

Orion Wholesale is also offering B2B customers with an online shop promotional materials spanning brand presentations, product videos, sales info and social media templates, as well as an API interface.

In early September, the distributor introduced same-day shipping for B2B customers, which Orion Wholesale says “enables B2B customers to streamline their business processes even further

and receive their ordered goods more quickly”.

Customers wishing to use the same-say shipping service must place their order by 10am latest, and the order must be fully completed and finalised online. Orion Wholesale also explains that: “If necessary and agreed with the customer, an adjustment to the next sales unit may be made.” There are exceptions for very large orders, and backorders also cannot be processed as part of this service.

For more information, email wholesale@orion.de

Eye of Love’s Bloom collection

Eye of Love has expanded its Bloom collection with the release of the Pheromone Roll-on Duo, a travel-friendly fragrance set designed for day-to-night use.

The alcohol-free set comprises two rollerball scents. The Sunny Daze roller is described as “a radiant daytime scent with notes of bergamot, jasmine and rose” Meanwhile, the Lilac Dream roller is “a seductive evening blend of vanilla, apple blossom and soft musk”.

Each rollerball is infused with vegan pheromones, designed for women to attract men.

“These new roll-ons are all about convenience and confidence,” said Joelle Hasley, sales co-ordinator at Eye of Love. “We wanted something you could toss in your bag and apply throughout the day to feel irresistible, no matter the time or place.”

For more details, email info@eyeoflove.com

Dusedo is now stocking Swiss Navy Natural water-based lubricant. It’s available in four sizes – 30ml, 59ml, 118ml and 237ml – so can be used for travel as well as at home. Swiss Navy lube is hypoallergenic and free from parabens, glycerin, and petroleumbased ingredients. It’s kind to sensitive skin and maintains natural balance. It’s compatible with condoms and most pleasure products, and Dusedo claims it washes away after use with no residue. Find out more at dusedo.com

Full Circle launches My Buddy

There are three designs in Full Circle’s My Buddy collection – there’s something suitable for beginners and experienced users, and all the toys are made of smooth silicone and feature powerful vibrations.

My Buddy is aimed at new users. It’s compact, measuring 3.9” x 1.6” (100mm x 41mm), it features nine powerful vibration settings and it includes a delicate rose design on the base. It’s rechargeable and IPX6 waterproof.

My Buddy Max offers dual vibration, 10 powerful speeds, a beaded shape, and a tapered tip for smooth entry. It measures 5.3” x 3.1” (135mm x 79mm) and is IPX7 waterproof.

My Buddy Pro measures 4.4” x 3.4” (112mm x 86mm) and offers 10 rumbly vibration settings. It’s rechargeable and IPX7 waterproof.

“The My Buddy line really delivers something for everyone,” said Briana Watkins, VP of sales and marketing at Full Circle. “From the approachable starter size to the indulgent Pro, each piece is designed for targeted stimulation – and they look incredible in-store.”

See more at shopfullcircle.com

Net1on1 Wholesale expands Earthly Body CBD range

Net1on1 Wholesale has expanded its range of Earthly Body CBD Daily products, adding three new items to the line. Each product is made with naturally derived ingredients, is 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free. Earthly Body products are classified in the UK and EU as cosmetics, and these new products are engineered for targeted relief and absorption, aimed at consumers looking for everyday wellness support or post-workout recovery.

CBD Daily Soothing Serum is a travel-sized (20ml) fast-absorbing serum that blends concentrated hemp-derived CBD (60mg) with essential oils to offer users soothing, cooling relief from sore muscles and discomfort.

CBD Daily Ultimate Strength

Intensive Cream also relieves tired joints and muscles. The rich formula is a blend of essential oils and (THC-free) natural CBD. The mint-scented cream is easy to apply, absorbs quickly and comes in a 142g size.

CBD Daily Active Spray works deeply into users’ muscles, providing immediate relief on the go via a spray application.

CBD products are marketed as having natural anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving and calming properties, without the psychoactive effects of THC. CBD cosmetics in the UK are governed by the UK Cosmetic Products Regulation, which aligns with EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) 1223/2009. (THC is strictly prohibited in any concentration in

cosmetics sold in the UK. Products must contain 0% THC, and the CBD must be sourced from legal strains and tested for THC content.)

Danielle Warn, senior sales executive at Net1on1 Wholesale, said: “We’re thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Earthly Body by introducing these three exceptional CBD Daily products to our retail partners. The demand for high-quality CBD solutions continues to grow exponentially, and these new additions offer our clients the perfect opportunity to expand their wellness offerings with products that deliver on efficacy and natural ingredients.”

Find out more at 1on1wholesale.co.uk

Ma Chéri amour: Blush adds to Delice collection

The latest addition to Blush’s Delice collection is Delice Chéri, a pelvic floor trainer that the brand says has been created to support strength, self-care and intimate wellbeing.

Chéri features a dual-weighted system that supports pelvic floor strengthening through gentle, responsive movement. It’s been made from Blush’s Purio platinum-cured liquid silicone and finished with the brand’s UltraSilk.

The trainer’s contoured shape facilitates partial and full insertion,

and a retrieval loop helps users to remove it safely. Chéri comes with a velvet pouch for storage.

A Blush representative said: “Chéri is an invitation to self-love and inner strength. It enhances the everyday routine with thoughtful design and sensory pleasure, supporting wellness while celebrating connection.”

Find out more at blushvibe.com

CalExotics releases new autumn lines

Among CalExotics new autumn (fall) lines are the One-Way Ultimate Douche and the Onyxxx range.

The One-Way Ultimate Douche –available in clear and blue colourways – is a body-safe cleaning system with a one-way valve to prevent backflow. It comes

with two interchangeable nozzles, comes apart easily for cleaning, and holds up to 5.5 fl oz (163ml).

In the Onyxxx range, there are three vibes: the Rechargeable Rider Probe, the Rechargeable Rippled Probe and the Rechargeable Contoured Probe.

All the toys offer 10 vibration speeds

and are harness-compatible (they all feature a suction cup base). Each one is made of silicone, is IPX7 waterproof and USB rechargeable (runs for 45 minutes on high speed and 90 minutes on low speed). Each toy also features a travel lock and a memory chip.

See more at calexotics.com

Quantum Cyclone and Vortex Thrust

arrive at Scala

Hidden Desire Fusion X has launched two male masturbators, which the brand says are “engineered for unmatched intensity and satisfaction”. They’re both available at Scala.

The Quantum Cyclone offers high-speed spin for a high-intensity climax. The Quantum Power Engine is capable of reaching up to 2,000rpm via a centrifugal motion. It comes with a transparent sleeve for easy cleaning. The Vortex Thrust combines up-and-down thrusting with 360° internal rotation (five thrusting modes and five rotational modes).

A transparent TPE sleeve allows users to see everything.

A Scala spokesperson said: “With the Quantum Cyclone and Vortex Thrust, Hidden Desire Fusion X has redefined what’s possible in men’s pleasure devices. These products showcase not only their commitment to cutting-edge engineering but also to delivering unforgettable experiences for their customers.”

See more at scala-nl.com

Intoyou app series gets Tickly

Tickly is now part of Lovecherry’s Intoyou app series – it’s a set of playful, bunny-shaped nipple clamps that can be controlled by the free ActiveJoy app. Tickly comprises the nipple clamps themselves, which feature a padded interior and 10 vibration modes, and a USB-rechargeable remote control for Bluetooth control up to 10 metres. There’s also a lanyard so users can take Tickly with them.

The ActiveJoy app means that users can connect for remote play. It’s a free download and doesn’t require registration. It now also includes Video Chat Mode, allowing partners to connect face-to-face through the app without creating an account or sharing personal information. Tickly is now available at lovecherry.es

SZI

launches new show in Tokyo

SZI, the organisation behind the Shenzhen International Adult Expo, is launching a new show in Tokyo in May 2026 – its second show launch in two years.

Eden Japan – Adult Expo 2026 will be held at the Tokyo Distribution Center from Wednesday 27 May-Friday 29 May 2026. The promoters – Eden Japan Co Ltd and the HaoyuGroup – say it will bring together approximately 250 leading brands in the adult industry and they expect an attendance of around 20,000 industry professionals.

ETO will be supporting the show as a media partner.

From produce to pleasure

The newest members of Electric Novelties Gläs range are inspired by fruit, vegetables and fantasy. First revealed at ANME, the Gläs line of dildos and plugs is made of borosilicate glass, which is known for its durability, temperature play capabilities, and the many artistic designs it can create.

The new designs include the carrot-shaped Bunny’s Secret, the

plump Eggplant Ecstasy, and Caressing Cucumber, which is ribbed and slender for textured sensations. Then there’s Magic Mushroom, featuring a toadstool top and corn-shaped Cornstar (available as both a dildo and a plug). Banana Joy is a curved yellow angled toy that can work for G-Spot or prostate play. The festive Candy Cane Dream features a red swirl (and it’s not just for Christmas).

Toosh is here…

“These are more than novelty,” said an Electric Novelties spokesperson. “The collection was designed to blend cheeky aesthetic with premium performance. Our customers love pieces that can be proudly displayed, gifted, and enjoyed again and again. The reaction at ANME confirmed that these hit that sweet spot.” Discover more at ElectricNovelties.com

and it’s all

about the bottom line

Loving Joy’s Toosh range is a new line of affordable, high-margin anal toys for retailers – and it’s now available through Net1on1 Wholesale.

“We recognised a clear demand in the market for a high-quality yet affordable range of anal toys that retailers could confidently stock and sell,” said Net1on1 Wholesale’s sales director, Sebastian Gonzalez. “With Toosh, we’ve not only

focused on delivering an exceptional product experience for the end-user but also on ensuring our retail partners can truly thrive.”

The initial launch features five distinct vibrating anal toys, catering to a variety of preferences and experiences. Net1on1 Wholesale says that Loving Joy has ambitious plans to expand the Toosh collection to a total of 44 products. A spokesperson for Net1on1

Wholesale said: “Loving Joy is committed to providing its partners with products that drive sales and foster customer loyalty. Toosh embodies this commitment, offering a unique opportunity for retailers to capitalise on the growing demand for anal pleasure products with a range that is both accessible and highly profitable.” For more details on the Toosh range, email sales@1on1wholesale.co.uk

All Around The World

Los Angeles, California

Harry Styles’s brand Pleasing has moved into the pleasure products space. The beauty venture, launched by the singer and actor in 2021, now includes Pleasing Yourself, which currently has two products in its range: the Pleasing Double-Sided Vibrator (developed in conjunction with Zoë Ligon, sex educator and proprietor of Spectrum Boutique) and the glycerin-free Pleasing Lube.

The brand has said it aims to: “explore sexual wellness through a lens of emotional depth, cultural fluency, joy and pleasure, and genuine care”.

North Hollywood, California, (and Hawaii)

Polynesian Pleasures is a new partnership between founder and industry veteran Valentino Tolman and Doc Johnson, which will be the new brand’s global master distributor. (See our ANME report, page 64.)

Tolman, whose extensive career in adult spaces includes spells at Evolved and Topco, has created a series of Polynesian-inspired products, which the Doc Johnson deal will bring to global markets. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Doc Johnson to bring Polynesian Pleasures to retailers worldwide,” Tolman said. “This brand has been a passion project for me, inspired by my love for Tiki culture and the lush beauty and spirit of the Hawaiian Islands.”

Los Angeles, California

ANME (see report, page 64) always closes up with the StorErotica awards. Big winners this year included Blush’s Benny Neff, who took home the Account Executive of the Year prize. “There is no greater honour than to be recognised by your peers,” Neff said. Meanwhile, mother-and-daughter-founded Like a Kitten was named Boutique Brand of the Year. Co-founder Natalie Johnson Annis (pictured left) said: “This win affirms that small brands with big hearts have a seat at the table –and we’re just getting started.”

SportSheets won the Best Fetish/BDSM Company award and, for the second time in four years, Wicked Sensual Care won Lubricant Company of the Year.

Bogotá, Colombia

Lovense took part in Community Update 2025, a two-day event held in August in Bogotá for the digital adult entertainment industry and attended by around 5,000 professionals including agencies, streamers, models and companies.

Visitors to the Lovense booth were able to take part in interactive games and win the brand’s products. As part of her main stage speech. Lovense’s Colombia representative Johanna Andrea Valencia also shared highlights of the brand’s performance during the past year.

Leicester, England

Creative Conceptions’ Unihorn vibes collection won the Best Adult Brand category prize at the Alternative Awards. CC was also nominated for its Sei Mio accessible BDSM line.

Creative Conceptions’ head of marketing and communications, Lucy Robinson, said: “Being shortlisted alone was such an honour, but having Unihorn take home the win made it truly unforgettable. We’re beyond grateful to everyone who’s been part of Unihorn’s journey, from those who’ve bought and stocked our products, to those who voted, shared and championed the brand.”

Copenhagen, Denmark

In August, selected pjur products were showcased for the first time in three shops in Magasin du Nord, Denmark’s oldest and largest department store chain, founded in 1868.

The pjur items – displayed in specially designed POS areas including tester sticks, creating an interactive experience for customers – included Woman Lust and Woman Lust Intense, Woman Nude, med Premium glide and Infinity.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

To celebrate 30 years in business, wholesaler and distributor Shots staged an in-house B2B trade show at its Dutch HQ between 8-12 September, where visitors experienced product showcases from many of Shots’s partner brands, as well as education sessions with experts, marketing strategy insights, meetings and networking opportunities.

The event also celebrated the 10th birthday of Shots America, and looked back at the career of Shots boss Hein Schouten.

A Shots representative said: “What began as a small, cheeky initiative in the Netherlands has grown into a globally recognised powerhouse, shaping trends and setting the standard for excellence across the adult retail landscape.”

Alexander Giebel, pjur’s founder and CEO, said: “The collaboration with Magasin du Nord enables us to present our products to a broad audience in a premium retail environment. We are excited to further expand our presence in Denmark and introduce the pjur brand to a new customer base.”

Berlin, Germany

Satisfyer’s Steel Collection was the inspiration for a creative collaboration with Austrian fashion designer Rebekka Ruétz at Berlin Fashion Week 2025. In her show “FEASTonyourlife”, Ruétz debuted a selection of capsule looks inspired by Satisfyer’s range of ergonomically designed stainless steel dildos.

A Satisfyer spokesperson said: “This powerful aesthetic integrated seamlessly into Ruétz’s spring/summer 2026 show – merging sensual minimalism with avant-garde fashion language. With this collaboration, Satisfyer boldly enters the world of fashion and culture, reinforcing the brand’s belief that pleasure can be an empowering expression of confidence and identity.”

Melbourne, Australia

British brands Uncover Creations and Sinnovator have agreed an Australian exclusivity deal with the leather, fetish and BDSM store Eagle Leather. Uncover Creations and Sinnovator are known for their handcrafted fantasy adult toys that focus on wellbeing, customisability and sex-positivity. Eagle Leather co-owner BJ told ETO: “Both Uncover Creations and Sinnovator are creative, unapologetically design-led and relentlessly safety-first; exactly the three pillars we care about most.” Luke Taylor, Uncover Creations co-founder, said: “We absolutely love what BJ and the team at Eagle Leather are doing. They’ve nailed that sweet spot of blending physical retail with online, and their commitment to quality really shines through. Having them as our Australian exclusive partner feels like a perfect fit.”

Bijoux Indiscrets Spotlight:

From a diamond vibe to a “restaurant”-style stand at EroSpain, Bijoux Indiscrets has been standing out from the crowd for the past couple of decades. Imogen Lees spoke to the brand’s co-founder Elsa Viegas about its philosophy, products… and why penetration isn’t the be-all and end-all.

It’s almost 20 years since Bijoux Indiscrets first came to the market with the Aphrodisia fragrance and a female-centric approach to sexuality and sexual wellness. Back in 2006, our industry looked a little different to today: certainly, ideas of sexuality were presented in a more “masculine” way and there was less of a focus on education and intimate wellness.

[In case you were curious (and which of us isn’t, in this industry?), LesBijouxIndiscretsis the title of a Diderot novel published in 1748, where a magic ring gives its wearer the power to make women’s private parts (“jewels”) talk.]

Bijoux Indiscrets’ own website says that the company wanted to transform the erotic industry from within: “We felt that it was time to lay [our] cards on the table and work towards a sexuality that was more inclusive, diverse and real. So that sexuality could become a natural part of normal, day-to-day life, without needing to be hidden or tempered by other types of rhetoric, maintaining a false perception of sexuality in general, and female sexuality in particular.”

But how did founders Elsa Viegas and Marta Aguiar arrive at this radical-at-the-time point of view? “Marta and I met 20 years ago while working together in an

the idea of creating a brand for women to explore their sexuality without taboos and away from pornography came to life. Initially, we drew inspiration from the common fantasies and real-life experiences of many of our friends, as well as extensive research on human behaviour.”

Bijoux Indiscrets’ first product, Aphrodisia, was inspired by an ancient recipe from the Kama Sutra, blending rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang. “We always search for inspiration in old books, old formulas…” explains Viegas. “Scents that evoke the most memories. Then we adjust them to the modern times (and noses!).”

Following this, during the mid-2000s, the brand introduced blindfolds and handcuffs with a luxe feel (which it still sells), as well as games for couples to play. And Viegas admits that during this period, the company’s focus was on heterosexual couples. “We had a lot to learn,” she says. “Twenty years ago, the erotic market… was nothing like we know it today.”

And Bijoux Indiscrets’ products were certainly different for the time: experience boxes based on familiar erotic fantasies – for example, a striptease, a bondage game, or a sensual photoshoot. The presentation was good, but the price point wasn’t

products were almost ‘impossible to sell’ but we had such passion and the proposals were so original that retailers gave us a chance.”

But this was a huge learning opportunity for Viegas and Aguiar, who realised that refining their focus would really help to position Bijoux Indiscrets as a brand with a purpose and an identity.

“Time passed, we learned more and we decided to put all our efforts into female sexuality,” Viegas remembers.

Bijoux Indiscrets’ Aphrodisia Body Mist

there is a lot of fear, shame, and lack of knowledge on how our body works, how our pleasure works and on how to enjoy sex. This was a turning point for our brand and this is still our mission today.”

In 2011, Bijoux Indiscrets launched its first range of erotic cosmetics. Certain considerations were – and remain – key to the development of the brand’s products. “For us, it is very important to be as respectful with our bodies as with our planet,” says Viegas. “We formulate our cosmetics with the most natural and gentle formulas possible and most of all, all our cosmetics are vegan, with no animal products or testing. It is possible to take care of ourselves while taking care of the planet and all animals.”

Considering the brand’s early products focused on play, it was perhaps not a surprise that it moved into toys – however, its original vibrator was unlike other toys that were on the market at the time. In 2014, Bijoux Indiscrets launched the diamond vibe: a different shape of toy, inspired by a cut diamond with several surfaces for stimulating the vulva. Where did an idea like that originate? “It all began with a study,” Viegas explains, “where we found out the huge

amount of lack of self-knowledge we had around our bodies and how our pleasure worked. There was still the belief that penetration was key to reach an orgasm, not giving the clitoris its importance. That’s when we decided to create a vibration jewel dedicated to the clitoris, and that is how the diamond shape happened. It was a way of generating awareness around the clitoris and female pleasure, and starting the conversation.”

Bijoux Indiscrets’ philosophy is, says Viegas, “putting female pleasure at the centre of all our work”. For example, the Clitherapy range, launched in 2019, uses humour to highlight the ups and the downs of the dating-app era. “It was the Tinder boom,” recollects Viegas, “and women were having more sex than ever, but… were they really having pleasure?”

She adds: “Casual sex can be very hot, but it also can be very disappointing, orgasm-wise. We decided to create a collection dedicated to the clitoris (so often forgotten during casual encounters) and add a little fun to it. The products have fun names such as Bad Day Killer for an orgasmic balm, or Better than Your Ex, a clitoral finger vibrator. We added a little humour to serious issues to, again, generate awareness around female pleasure.”

The brand now offers female-focused toys, cosmetics and accessories. “It’s important to offer more pleasure options besides penetrative sex,” says Viegas. The Slow Sex cosmetics range encompasses 14 products, which Viegas says “remove penetration from the spotlight and offer 14 excuses to explore with your partner”. Turning foreplay into the main event, the collection includes massage oil, nipple play gel, CBD oils and luxurious gift boxes.

Harness from Bijoux Indiscrets’ Maze bondage range

Bijoux Indiscrets’ Diamond vibe

Bijoux Indiscrets’ Bad Day Killer balm

Bijoux Indiscrets’ Better Than Your Ex finger vibrator

“After that came Sex au Naturel, a collection dedicated to sexual wellness and wellbeing,” Viegas explains, “with the mission to improve our sexual wellbeing in order to enjoy ourselves even more.”

The range includes serums, massage drops and a vibrator, and takes a holistic approach to sexual wellness. At the heart of the collection is a new lube, formulated specifically for female bodies and wellness, containing hyaluronic acid, panthenol, lactic acid and aloe vera. It’s water-based, and doesn’t contain fragrance, colourants, glycerin or parabens. It’s also vegan, and a prebiotic called Bioecolia means it favours a healthy microbiome, which helps to prevent bacterial and fungal infections. Its osmolality (the concentration of particles dissolved in bodily fluid) is low, at around 380 mOsm/kg, which closely aligns to the osmolality of vaginal fluids. Its pH is 4.5, to match that of the vagina.

Making this lube stand out in the market has also been part of its launch. At EroSpain, Bijoux Indiscrets’ stand was totally different from anything else in the exhibition hall, set up like a high-end restaurant with place settings, plates, cutlery and sophisticated pastel gauzy curtains. “We turned our booth into a fine dining experience where all the ingredients were presented as a dish,” Viegas explains, “where we explained the what, why and how of each one. Besides that, the smooth fabric simulated vulvas, where the visitors could enter to discover the menu.”

Retailers looking to stock Bijoux Indiscrets can contact their European distributors or reach out directly to the brand. Viegas also offers retailer-support materials. “We consider ourselves very lucky to have direct contact with the retailers, even the ones that buy from distributors,” she says. “We are always available to support [retailers] with staff training, educational material, marketing and display material, promotions, window decoration, and most of all, listen to their doubts and their clients’ suggestions. “We do our best to have displays and other promotional material available for our clients,” she adds. “It is very important to have a good presentation in-store, and also we give learning materials to the sales force – after all, they need to be our best brand ambassadors when the client enters the store.” So finally, what can we expect from Bijoux Indiscrets for the rest of 2025 and into 2026? “We have a couple of new products that will be available this October/ November,” Viegas says. “Slow Sex and Sex au Naturel will see their ranges grow. We will keep loyal to our mission to provide playful products that won’t forget wellness and health.”

Find out more about Bijoux Indiscrets at bijouxindiscrets.com.

Sex au Naturel Personal Lubricant by Bijoux Indiscrets

Sex au Naturel Clitoral Arousal Serum by Bijoux Indiscrets

Harness from Bijoux Indiscrets’ Maze bondage range

The big idea

E-Stim Systems turned 21 on 10 September. A lot has changed during those 21 years, but building a community and remaining authentic have kept the business on track for success. Imogen Lees chatted with company bosses Wayne and Caz Allen about their values, plans, and – most importantly – ideas.

“I have a magic book,” grins E-Stim Systems founder and director Wayne Allen, holding up a black leather-looking A5 notebook, stuffed with extra pieces of paper and just about held closed by a hardworking elastic band.

Caz Allen, Wayne’s other half and E-Stim Systems’ production and accounts manager, interjects. “I sometimes wake up in the night to find Wayne sitting at the desk, scribbling away, because an idea has just suddenly come into his head.”

“This is the magic book that has all of my ideas,” Wayne explains. “I have to write things down.” He tilts the camera on our Zoom call so I can see his desk, and reveals a fascinating mix of notes, prototypes, working models and other business detritus – basically, a place where plans, schemes and suggestions become working E-Stim Systems products.

Maybe it’s this level of commitment to innovation and attention to detail – and pleasure – that’s kept E-Stim Systems at the top of the electrostimulation market for the past 21 years. Although Wayne and Caz’s own enjoyment of electro play also helps, especially in the creation and upkeep of the community they’ve built (online and offline). So was forming E-Stim Systems a “passion project” for the Allens?

“I think it was, to start with,” muses Wayne. “It was almost accidental. It was fun at first, and then [we]

started to realise that enough people were asking ‘Can we have one of these?’ that it got closer to being: ‘Actually, we’re making money now.’” Wayne was spending increasing amounts of time outside his job in IT building electrostim toys, and he and Caz decided to bite the bullet and start the company. “We never realised how big we were going to become,” he remembers. “We used to sit in the bedroom at home – half of which was our workshop – joking about how one day we’d have a building and staff, imagining how we’d be sending the boxes we were putting together to America or Australia. Well, now we’ve got that every single day, and we’re having to deal with people asking: ‘How do we send 50 units? 100 units?’ – numbers that we just never really considered, and a market that has grown and grown.”

How does it feel?

One of the brand’s early ways of getting noticed was at fetish fairs, and Caz recalls that it was her own experience playing with the kit that stood her in good stead. “I thought: ‘I know that feels nice, so can I translate that feeling into somebody holding an electrode in their hand, so they understand that in more interesting places, this is how it really is going to feel?’” This is certainly an industry all about touch and feel and, once word began to spread about how

E-Stim Systems’ devices worked, Wayne and Caz found themselves on the receiving end of increasing numbers of orders. Their timing also coincided with the emergence of social media. “This was the beginning of the modern internet for adults,” says Wayne. “We listened to people; we talked about what we do.”

Committing themselves to a new business where they not only manufactured but also used the products, the Allens put quality at the top of their agenda. They spent the first five or six years of the business’s life working 24-seven, never switching off, and it took a while before either of them felt it was OK to step back a little. Now they deal with feedback and issues (global delivery being a regular challenge) with more confidence. In a way, E-Stim Systems is bridging the gap between a global company and a family business. In fact, there are friends and family members among their 11 staff.

What really comes across from talking to Wayne and Caz is their authenticity. They use electro play kit themselves, and while they plainly know what they’re doing in business, they don’t seem fixated on making a fortune. I ask them whether they consider themselves “authentic”.

“Yes, 100 percent,” Wayne immediately replies. “And it’s not just authenticity. It’s honesty. Being honest for customers, obviously, but also being honest for ourselves. Things are going to go wrong from time to time, so deal with it, use that as an opportunity. But really, if you’ve got the right level of passion and interest, every new day and every new idea is like getting new toys. It’s like Christmas again.”

The Allens tell me that during EroSpain this year, when they weren’t in the convention hall they were plotting new ideas – and some of these have already gone from sketches to reality. With Wayne’s background in electronic engineering, he’s able to take on a lot of the design and manufacture himself. If someone in the company – or a customer – has an idea, the team can, to a certain extent, run with it and see where it goes. Manufacturing and R&D is all in-house.

“Because we play with it, that’s where the R&D comes from,” Wayne explains. “And also talking to our friends. We have a core of probably 25 or 30 people we’ve known for years. We talk on a regular basis, we listen to what they’re saying.” Their close community also alerts them to the competition – and E-Stim Systems believes competition creates a broader market. “We look at what’s going on,” Wayne says, “and we’re always asking ourselves: ‘How do we improve that?’”

Wayne and Caz Allen

Of course, another element of competition is what we might call “inspiration”. Wayne and Caz admit they’ve seen copies of their products on the market. “Yeah, people have copied us,” says Wayne. “What can we do about it? Well, we’re not going to try to pursue legal means. It’s pointless. But people still like the fact that we are authentic. Yes, you can buy a copy of one of our electrodes from somebody else, but if you actually want to buy an E-Stim Systems electrode, you’re gonna buy it directly from us, because we’re offering you a lifetime guarantee. And we offer the advice and the service and everything else that goes around that.”

Working with retailers

With this level of direct customer interaction, I’m curious about how E-Stim Systems builds relationships with retailers and picks its retail partners. Caz and Wayne explain that they’ve “dabbled” with chain stores and distributors in the past but now have “a core” of independent retailers dotted around the world that offer customers specialised knowledge. Wayne explains: “It’s not a case of how many units you can sell. You tell us what you think you’d like, and we’ll do our best to provide that. So if you want one box and two electrodes in your store and a display, because that’s all the space you have, no problem. We can deal with that. We’ll do staff training. We want independent stores, because independent stores know their customers best.”

E-Stim Systems provides resources for in-store electro workshops because they value the trust and community that independent retailers create. The brand builds this into its D2C model, too. “We’re trying to sell a product,” says Caz. “The easiest way to sell to someone is sell to your friends. Get to know a customer, get to know what they want, get to know what they’re trying to achieve. Look at what they’ve already got, and ask whether they’ve

considered building on that.”

So how does a constant stream of new ideas work in terms of distribution to retailers? Wayne laughs. “We actually have had complaints that we come up with too many ideas too quickly! But because we talk to our customers, we talk to our retailers, we get feedback.” A great example of this concerns the electro rings the brand introduced last year – while

the team was exhibiting at ANME this July, a retailer asked whether he could have a sizing set for in-store use so customers would know which ring to choose. Wayne and Caz made one.

They could make it quickly because all E-Stim Systems’ manufacturing is UK-based. Of course, not all the elements can be sourced in the UK, but it’s obvious that Wayne and Caz are really committed to UK-based production. I ask them whether they see that being the case forever. “I’m going to be honest and say yes, because I think it’s one of our core things,” Wayne says. “I see too many issues when companies farm out their manufacturing side to China. Yes, the quality initially is great, but you lose control, and that, for me, is a big problem.”

Social media

Another way in which E-Stim Systems has carved out its own niche is its use of long-form social media: podcasts, livestreams and a YouTube channel. Broadcasts are informative, sometimes chaotic, with a community feel. “YouTube allows us to talk directly to people,” says Wayne, “without having the ‘corporate look’.” While Caz and Wayne choose topics before they press record, what happens on their channel is unscripted, and the audience is encouraged to comment. “If it’s live, then that gets even more fun,” Wayne laughs, “because now you’re interacting with people, and you suddenly find your chat has gone from what you expected it to be to something completely different.”

“We have a core audience,” says Caz, “who come back week after week, month after month, and we’ve built up a bit of a rapport with them and it becomes more of a fun interaction – almost a social with friends.” Wayne and Caz have created a community that is engaged with their content. They’ve also made a real effort to break some of the stereotypes around electro play being men’s domain by recording a couple

E-Stim Systems 2B power box

Insertable electrodes: back row – Black collection, middle row – (left to right) MJ from Flanged Collection and Large Flo, The Bobble, Small Flo from Red Collection, front row – Dual Pinwheel

of videos with Caz and her friend Liz having a very frank (and hilarious) chat about using electro toys. But (at the time of writing, in mid-August) it’s been a while since they’ve put out any YouTube material. I ask what might be next. You won’t be remotely surprised to hear that Wayne has “some ideas” (48 at last count). A potential next wave of content is user manuals. “We hate manuals with a passion,” says Wayne. “Forget the manual! Go and watch the video and I’ll show you how to put a battery into an ElectroPebble or talk to you about why conductive rubber does this, that, and the other.”

Rules and regs

I ask the Allens how the UK’s recently introduced age-verification legislation will impact E-Stim Systems’ online presence, and it transpires they’ve already implemented it for their user support community, using a mixture of facial recognition, ID recognition, and email registration. Implementing the rules hasn’t seen a drop-off in user numbers because the company had already added a registration requirement to the forum when Wayne and Caz discovered AI bots scraping material from the discussions. Wayne is also concerned that anyone using a free VPN is opening themselves up to blackmail by passing on sensitive information to unknown organisations.

All this talk of rules and regulations brings us round to UK high streets, and adult retailers’ current predicament. “You are not going to get the UK high street to recover in the adult market, unless you manage to obliterate the reams of legislation,” says Wayne. He and Caz share a story about a European retailer they worked with that had planned to open a London store and the bosses were taken aback when they realised they’d need a licence.

Around the world

As our conversation turns to politics, I ask whether tariffs have impacted their US sales. Not really, it turns out, because their customers are often buying specialised toys and fetish gear from other countries, so are already au fait with tariffs. Wayne and Caz spoke to US store-owners at ANME. “I think a lot of the retailers are quite pragmatic about it,” says Wayne. “They’ll try to put some protections in, so they’ve bought more stock in. And yes, some of them are

going to have to pass on the costs to their customers.”

Caz also shared that entering the USA as a trade-show exhibitor now needs a whole load more paperwork. But she doesn’t mind too much. “We love Americans; they are so genuine when you’re talking to them face to face.”

Wayne feels similar vibes for our closer neighbours. “Brexit, for me, is the worst thing we could ever possibly have done. We love Europe. We love selling to people in Europe. We’ve got loads of friends in Europe. And we’re still looking at events in Europe. We’ll be at EroFame in Amsterdam.” (Caz is designing a colourful stand!)

However, Wayne says that as a business, E-Stim Systems tries to avoid politics. For example, the company doesn’t make a big deal of Pride month, “because we believe it’s something that we should be doing all the time, not just for a month. If a Pride event or Pride organisers or a gay club comes to us and asks: ‘Can you support us?’, the answer’s yes. Why not? We’re part of the community.”

Caz and Wayne both mourn the loss of large consumer shows such as Erotica. “It was a game-changer for us

as a business,” recalls Wayne. “A lot of things happened for us at the right time, but getting into stores when we first started was really difficult.” Wayne attributes this to margin expectations, which he believes make an assumption that all product is manufactured cheaply in China. This is when E-Stim Systems decided to turn the situation on its head and invest in manufacturing and machinery… and offer a lifetime guarantee. So what’s next from E-Stim Systems? Wayne and Caz both say there’s “new stuff coming”… we can look forward to “lots of colour” and potentially a move towards the fetish and BDSM world in addition to electro play. “We can hint,” laughs Wayne. “There are some ideas floating around that we’re testing at the moment.” Of course there are. It’s all about the ideas.

E-Stim Systems A Box audio power box and Electro Helix power box

Hello, Halloween

Halloween is only a month away… will you be cobwebbing the entire store, or concentrating on spooky toys? ETO rounds up some of the Halloween favourites on offer this year, and on page 48 thinks about how to make the most of this visual merchandising opportunity.

Halloween seems to get bigger each year: more parties, wilder costumes, putting decorations up for the whole month of October… But it’s also a chance to display costumes, scary-looking toys and –because why not? – maybe a bit of BDSM front and centre in store.

Costume party…

Halloween is all about dressing up, and Orion Wholesale’s Cottelli Costumes range is a sensibly priced place to start stocking up on some familiar themes.

The brand’s schoolgirl looks include a lingerie set with a wire-free bra, a crotchless suspender string including a frilly waistband and an adjustable choker. Another schoolgirl outfit comprises a tartan body with wire-free white lace cups decorated with small red bows.

Also in the Cottelli Costumes collection is a Special Police outfit: a stretchy, wet-look black suspender body with an emblem on the left arm, a full-length three-way zip and removable suspenders. Then there’s the maid’s dress: a tapered suspender dress with a round neckline, decorative collar, lacy sleeves and hem, plus removable suspenders… and of course the allimportant apron.

Net1on1 Wholesale’s Loving Joy brand has just launched a new range called Lace: the mini dress (pictured here, in the plus size) has fantastic “webbed” features that would look great for a Halloween dressing-up party.

Over at Scala, Leg Avenue has a huge Halloween collection, with everything from a Pierrot Clown (lace-trimmed velvet dress with pom-poms, neck piece and matching hat) to

Raving Rebel (velvet/ lace dress, organza skirt, knife hair clip) via Beetle Babe (lace ruffle garter bodysuit, pin-on bustle bow, and matching red veil) to Evil Enchantress (snap-crotch bodysuit, iridescent skirt and jewelled cape). It’s also worth looking at Shots, which carries the Forplay range. In the comic book dept, Orion Wholesale’s Black Level range includes a Catwoman (Batwoman?) style black vinyl back-zip body and mask.

Loving Joy’s Lace brand mini dress from Net1on1 Wholesale

Elsewhere in the Black Level collection there’s a fetishparty-tastic cat-style vinyl head mask, while Orion Wholesale’s Cottelli Party range also caters to other animal-lovers… stretchy, snakeskin jumpsuit, anyone?

… or BDSM?

Well… of course, your customers couldbe going to a fancy dress party, but what if they’re tied up doing something else at home instead? (As it were.) Pipedream describes its Fantasy C-Ringz range as “a premium performance line ideal for

stretchers. This summer at ANME, Pipedream launched two more products in the collection: the Ultimate Couples Cage Pro and the Ultimate Couples Cage Max, which features a P-Spot massager and

For a really spicy night in, Dusedo’s Black Label brand offers impact play and pain play equipment and accessories in a classy black-and-gold colourway. The black leather spiked vampire crop and the vampire gloves are definitely 31 Octoberappropriate, and elsewhere in the

Orion Wholesale’s Cottelli costumes

Dusedo’s Black Label vampire glove

Leg Avenue’s Beetle Babe

Taboom Wild Roses handcuffs from Scala

Pipedream Products’ Fantasy C-Ringz

Black Label range, you’ll find a pinwheel, stainless steel nipple clamps, a spiked pussy clamp and an aluminium ball smasher. Spanking canes – multi-strand and single-strand – are new to Net1on1 Wholesale’s Bound to Please range, made from natural rattan and PU. Scala’s Taboom Wild Roses range offers classy-looking leather and faux BDSM accessories, including rose-embellished cuffs, a collar and leash and a blindfold. And of course Creative Conceptions’ Sei Mio line, in black and brushed metal, is perfectly pitched for a Halloween-at-home night to remember.

Unleash the monsters…

We can’t really discuss Halloween without talking about monsters... so here are a few dildos to bring a spooky vibe to proceedings. Tonga carries NMC’s Zone collection, featuring dildos measuring from 7.5 inches (19cm) to 17.5 inches (44.5cm), many of which also glow in the dark – and also stocks Blush’s Temptasia Enchanted Serpent, which features a striking plasma globe, textured silicone outer casing and 10 vibration settings at each end.

Hidden Desire’s range of Monster Dildos – Demon, Dinosaur, Dragon and Devil – are all large-sized, fantasy-inspired vibrating dildos with differing levels of detailing. You’ll find those at Scala, which also stocks

durable silicone.

At Orion Wholesale, you’ll find You2Toys’ range of Beasty Cocks, which feature a narrower tip for ease of insertion. Take your pick from Lizard Peak, Triple Tentacle, Alien Phallus, Octopus Prime, Symbiont Tease, Demon of Desire, Mystic Dragon, and… er… Eel of Ecstasy. No liquor or mash with ours, please. British brands Sinnovator and Uncover Creations are well known for their spooky-adjacent grinders. Uncover Creations’ Oni grinder recently won Best Horror Toy at the 2025 Bazowie Awards, and there’s also the Dragon Oni, Maw and the Venus (nominated for an XMA Europa award). Uncover Creations is planning a special Halloween drop with custom colour options – although

Dusedo’s Black Label pussy clamp

Orion Wholesale’s Beasty Cocks Symbiont Tease

Hidden Desire’s Dragon Monster dildo

Creature Cocks’ Tenta-Trio silicone dildo from XR Brands

Taboom Wild Roses blindfold from Scala

Sinnovator’s Xeno Large dildo

Uncover Creations is currently in talks with various retailers about creating signature colour schemes.

Uncover Creations has also just released the Succubus, a toy shape that evolved from working with a tattoo artist during the brand’s “design a grinder” competition, which really leans into the gothic/horror vibes.

Meanwhile, XR Brands’ Creature Cocks collection encompasses a whole bunch of fantasy themes: alien, aquatic, beasts, mythological and underworld. Let’s begin in the water, with the Tenta Trio Dildo: orange, pink and blue different sized silicone tentacles covered in octopus-style suckers that can be used individually or combined. In the mythological (or beasts?) department, the red-and-black Dragon Thrust dildo has six thrusting modes, three speeds and six patterns of vibration.

pair of shorts also features a penis-enhancing print in just the right place.

Meanwhile, the Eye of the Spawn vibrating and squirming butt plug is green with black spirals and a reptilian eye on the base. It’s remote-controlled, offering users three speeds and seven patterns. And if the eyes have it, the Sinister Eyes butt plug set comprises three metal plugs with glass eyes on each end… and because they’re made of metal (nickel-free) they can be used for temperature play. Although if customers would prefer a plug that glows in the dark, how about Net1on1 Wholesale’s Toosh Remote Controlled Light Up Vibrating Butt Plug?

…or be cute instead

Of course, Halloween toys don’t have to be monsters. What about Creative Conceptions’ super-cute Unihorn vibes? The Wild Spirit Unihorn – aka

“the lashing tongue one” – offers 10 speeds and 10 tongue-motion patterns. And perhaps even more “Halloweeny” (that’s totally a word, right?) is the Blaze Diabolo, a red clitoral stimulator with a “forked tongue”. And how could we forget Satisfyer’s classic Glowing Ghost and Cutie Ghost?

Oh, and let’s end with a spatter of lube – because we can.

XR Brands has Creature Cum in blue and green jizz varieties, or unscented Creature Slime, while Satisfyer goes 100 percent American coffee chain with its Playful Pumpkin lube.

So there we have it. A little bit of everything for spooks and ghouls, freaks and fools. But how best to display it all? Take a look over the page for some ideas.

1on1wholesale.co.uk creativeconceptions.co.uk dusedo.com orion-wholesale.com pipedreamproducts.com satisfyer.com scala-nl.com shots.nl sinnovator.com tongabv.com uncovercreations.com xrbrands.com

Satisfyer’s Glowing Ghost green air pulse

Wood-E

Creature Wear Monster Lake from XR Brands

Creative Conception’s Unihorn Diablo

Toosh Remote Controlled Light Up Vibrating butt plug from Net1on1 Wholesale

Creature Cocks’ Eye of the Spawn butt plug from XR Brands

Spooky shopping

Setting aside part of your store to showcase Halloween provides an instant focus for customers without turning your existing displays upside down. We spoke to retailers and experts about ideas for visual merchandising around 31 October.

For more than 20 years, our Mystery Shopper has seen the face of adult retail evolve and change. She seemed an ideal person to ask about current window and display trends for Halloween. She tells us: “With many years’ personal experience in retail, as both a store manager and area manager, I like to think I’ve seen a good range of seasonal display efforts. Good, bad, and indifferent. An eye-catching arrangement of products is always going to do what it needs to do: draw attention. Visual merchandising isn’t a skill every retailer has, but luckily you can just find a photo online of something you like and essentially copy that.”

Ms Shopper continues: “In recent months I’ve seen a much wider range of window displays than I’ve been able to see in the UK, thanks to my European trips. UK licensing rules usually severely limit what’s possible here, but clothing – mostly fetish – stores do have more scope. Honour in south London is a good example of what’s possible. The display is changed frequently, with new outfits for the mannequins, and some appropriate decoration added in. That might be pink, red, and magenta paper hearts for Valentines, or cobwebs and spiders for Halloween.”

But Ian Diamond and Drew Bigglestone, co-owners of Luke and Jack in Glasgow, guard against going too

far, remembering one year when they were “cleaning away cobwebs and spiders into December”. Ian and Drew are also mindful that for some customers, the store is a space to escape, so they concentrate on their window displays. One year, they went with a “huge pumpkin head”, but the display that really caught the imagination of passers-by featured four mannequins in lingerie and wigs in colours inspired by Scooby-Doo’s Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy (“Daphne” was holding a hangman-style hood). Drew and Ian also took inspiration from Shock Treatment – yep, there was a sequel to the Rocky Horror Picture Show… you might need this fact in a

Luke and Jack’s Scooby Doo window display

quiz one day – only they gender-flipped it, using gold mannequins in costume, including a nurse. However, Ian and Drew are always conscious that costumes can create issues around body images and representation. By gender-flipping the roles, they weren’t just, as they say “pandering to the stereotype of the dress up.”

Inside the store, Drew and Ian make similar considerations, grouping products according to seasonal colour or sparkle, rather than directing customers to items that conform to traditional heteronormative gender stereotypes.

Seasonal colours are a great starting point for visual merchandising. ETO’s Mystery Shopper says: “Spooky season is an easy one to work with, thanks to a lot of bold iconography. Expressing love is flowers and fluff and pink and... lingerie? Chocolates? It gets kitsch pretty quickly. But Halloween? It’s black lace and skulls. It’s candles, runes, Satanic symbols, vampires, blood... Sexy fetish zombie nurses. Werewolves. Frankenstein in fishnets. It’s 50 years this year since the premiere of The Rocky Horror Picture Show – an easy theme to base a display around. Chains, Whitby Jet jewellery, pumpkins, and mummys. Witches, black cats – honestly, making a multi-level window display with red velvet and some fake flickering candles isn’t the biggest challenge, thanks in large part to all the goodies you can find online or in a TK Maxx.”

“A green light to cast an evil spell over a few square metres of stock? A candelabra, crystal ball, and severed hand on a shelf? Of course, the hand is holding a cock cage. Or pop it on a packer for that ‘disembodied dick’ look.”

Renée Denyer, one of ETO’s Shop Talk columnists, tells us: “You can have a lot of fun playing with costumes and stockings.”

Renée and her team at Sh! Women’s Store in London no longer operate from physical premises, but when they had store space they liked to make the most of Halloween, showcasing costumes and accessories (stockings and cat headbands are perfect for

customers who like to make their own dress-up outfits). For Halloweens past she created a spooky atmosphere by hanging velvet spiders from the ceiling and using green fairy lights (she picked up both these things in a craft store). Battery-operated candles can also provide an air of mystery.

Sh! Women’s Store always made an effort to get the customers involved: one year, staff offered “trick or treat”, which was either candy or a spank from a crop! “We are sent a lot of toys,” Renée says, “and not all of them are great! Some won’t sell. So one year, we made a huge ‘ugly toys’ box and had a draw for someone to win the contents.” That same year, the store team also made a papier-mache “gravestone” for the ugly toys. To create the right lighting effects, Renée recommends using a UV light to demonstrate glow-in-the-dark dildos and other glowing toys. You don’t need to spend a fortune to create a Halloween-themed area – or even to give the whole store a spooky feel. And if the displays and products work for your customers, they’ll work for your sales, too…

Shock Treatment window display at Luke and Jack

Another spooky display in TK Maxx

TK Maxx’s pumpkin selection

Skull available at TK Maxx

Mapalé: what’s the story?

A chance meeting with a mysterious model at this year’s EroSpain set our Paul Smith on a strange journey of discovery, finding out the story behind this boxed lingerie brand. It begins with a silhouetted femme fatale and the sound of an accordion at midnight...

Let me set the scene. The accordion music was in my imagination. It wasn’t midnight, but it would be later. Much later. And the femme fatale was a blonde model just hanging out in Mapalé lingerie and being very patient with old bald idiots such as myself. (That, and days spent wearing heels, absolutely justifies whatever price tag being a lingerie model carries.) I nonchalantly drifted on to the Mapalé stand and, while I took photos, I also allowed my peripheral vision to drift further. Boxed lingerie isn’t much of a world-changer. It’s been a staple of pleasure product retail for around 40 years, and yet, here, on the Mapalé stand, something struck me as being a little different...

It’s pronunciation. Map-ah-Lay, not Mah-Pell. You don’t get this with Dreamgirl or Leg Avenue. A little further investigation saw the accordion music and baguettes binned; Mapalé is a US brand and the accent on the e is all about perceptions, like the umlauts in Mötley Crüe. A bit of European sophistication and flair is a marketing technique as old as yonder hills, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The same philosophy seems to inform Mapalé’s product categories. “Costumes” is self-explanatory. Likewise “Hosiery”, “Lingerie” and “Bodystockings”. “Resort” and “Lounge” are a bit more obscure for me but I’m confident those in the boxed lingerie game will know.

“Clubwear” and “Dresses”, plus “Curvy Lingerie” put me back on safe, familiar ground.

“Ravewear” and “Shapewear” are also reassuringly familiar terms, reminding me of the mass of massive catalogues I was given to look through while talking about Shirley of Hollywood years ago. I like a relatable, solid category. None of this nebulous “Glamourwear” or “Casual”, terms so broad you could put most of a clothing manufacturer’s SKUs in them.

The Colombian connection

I spoke to Mapalé co-founder Angela Tobon, who told me: “A bit of history. Nearly 25 years ago my husband Pablo and I founded Mapalé in Miami, with a vision to infuse lingerie with fresh energy to appeal globally. Originally from Colombia but residing in Miami, we built a brand with the aim [of reflecting] the best of both worlds: the vibrant, fashion-forward spirit of Miami and the passion, sensuality and craftsmanship of our Colombian heritage.”

Angela continued: “The name Mapalé reflects our story! Mapalé ties back to our Colombian roots, our Miami present and future, and even the initials of our children and ourselves. From Colombia, we draw a spirit of freedom, sensuality and boldness that defines our brand. From Miami, we embrace fashion, multicultural energy, and the endless sense of fun that inspires our collections. From the very beginning, our mission has been to make Mapalé more than lingerie – it’s about confidence, empowerment, and unapologetic self-expression.”

I believe packaging imagery makes or breaks a boxed lingerie brand (think Baci) and so asked Angela what Mapalé does with its boxes to grab attention. She responded: “We believe packaging should feel like an invitation, not just a box. Our designs are bold, vibrant and modern, created to stand out on the shelf while still feeling luxurious. It’s the first glimpse of the Mapalé experience, and we want it to spark curiosity,

romance, and a little bit of fun. After all, lingerie should be as much about anticipation as the reveal. Mapalé products are presented in a white box, with front and back images of each item, and the brand logo in gold.”

Nothing especially radical there – and why try to reinvent the wheel? – and so I remained keen to know what sets Mapalé apart from a multitude of rival brands. I’m glad Angela continued: “What makes Mapalé different is our DNA. We’re not just a boxed lingerie brand; we’re storytellers of intimacy, confidence and playfulness. Our collections balance sexy and sophisticated, edgy and elegant, playful and daring. And because we’re family-owned, we’re deeply committed to our partners: we’re agile, responsive, and constantly innovating to give retailers something fresh and exciting, season after season.”

Worried that the company’s very broad range might be overwhelming for retailers, I asked about favourite designs and bestsellers. Angela replied: “Our

customers love the versatility we offer. While our lingerie lines are always top sellers, our lounge and resort wear also surprise people with how well they perform; it’s lingerie-inspired fashion you can wear beyond the bedroom. The new fall-holiday-winter collections include The Festive Lush holiday capsule, with shimmering details and dramatic cutouts; this is one we’re especially proud of. Another standout is our Misfit collection: bold, gothic-romantic, and unapologetically different. Across the board, we manage thousands of SKUs to give buyers variety, but also thoughtful curation so they never feel overwhelmed.”

To finish, I asked if there was anything else ETO readers should know. Angela shared the following: “We’re excited to confirm that this fall we’ll be launching new exclusives designed with the holidays in mind; think sultry jewel tones, playful faux leather, and romantic lace. We also have a few surprises coming for Valentine’s 2026 that we can’t reveal just yet… Let’s just say they’ll bring heat to the coldest winter nights! At the end of the day, we want retailers and customers alike to know: Mapalé isn’t just about lingerie, it’s about creating moments! Moments of confidence, romance, play, and empowerment. That’s the heartbeat of our brand.”

That’s what the co-founder says, but what about the distributors? I went looking for the UK’s wholesale supplier, Kevco Wholesale…

Box shifters

It’s a bit of a dismissive term for commodities sellers who “aim to maximise profit at the expense of product quality or customer care”. However, I’m referring to shifting literal boxes. Thus, when I call Kevco Wholesale “box shifters”, I actually mean that the long-established, well-regarded company is a prolific shifter of boxes. Boxes filled with lingerie.

I gave Kevin Wooldridge at Kevco Wholesale a call. He told me: “We’re the only distributor for Mapalé in the UK. New Temptations used to carry it and, as they were closing down, we did have a chat about the brand but at the time it didn’t feel like the right time to take it on. A while later, we were at the Altitude Intimates trade show in Las Vegas when we were

Kevin Wooldridge, Kevco Wholesale

Examples of Mapalé packaging

looking to refresh our brands and bring some new lines on. We noticed Mapalé’s stand was rammed and we asked around – everyone had good things to say about them. It’s a very popular brand in the US, but the profile in Europe and the UK has been smaller.”

Kevin continued: “We felt in a good position to get the brand more traction, and in the climate we’re in, while we could’ve signed deals right around the show to bring brands into the UK, that doesn’t give you more sales. We’re known as a selective business and, as the market is depressed, we don’t want to upset our existing brands by doing anything too radical.”

I learned that Kevco added Mapalé a few months ago, along with Dreamgirl, because both offered the right sort of range, pricing and margins. Kevco is well established and perfectly positioned to grow both brands’ UK profiles.

Kevin explained: “When Dreamgirl lost its UK distie, a lot of smaller stores basically stopped buying it altogether. Since we don’t have a minimum order, customers can order what they want, when they want it. We consolidate orders with Mapalé at the moment but, as sales continue to grow, and we’ve a history of orders to look at, we plan to start holding stock here in the UK. Ordering stock once or twice a month will allow us to keep the best sellers in popular sizes and fulfil ‘typical’ orders more quickly. For now, we order with various manufacturers, bring those orders together, and ship pallets at a time. We do an east-coast order every couple of weeks, and a west-coast order every week. It works well for us, having stuff flown over.”

“We took on Mapalé after speaking to some of our customers after getting back from the trade show,” commented Kevin. “Then we decided to do it, got it added to the website [wholesalelingerie.co.uk], and I’m happy to say it’s been a success. That’s despite the general market being ‘less than good’ at the moment. If you think of a store as being so many hooks on a wall, and so much shelf space, we have to offer them the right stuff to fill those hooks and spaces. If they start a new brand, they often have to drop an existing one, so adopting an American brand which might be hit with a reciprocal tariff can feel like a gamble. But we’ve picked up new business – people for whom going direct wouldn’t make sense – as well as introducing it into existing customers’ ranges. It’s also brought some old customers back to us, which is always nice.”

Kevin added: “As we get into the busy bit of the year, I’m expecting it to grow further and faster, as consumers seem very happy with Mapalé. As are we. They’re very good at keeping in touch, giving us what we need to make sales, and being efficient. Communication is very good and the owners are lovely people. For us, that’s important, as there are sharks out there – we have been bitten in the past, and that does make us perhaps a little wary.”

Kevin pointed out another factor: Mapalé is actually made in Columbia, not in China. When it comes to Trump’s tariffs, details like that are important! Some other brands Kevco deals with had prices jumping up, and down, and up again.

Kevin continued: “So, lovely people, but it’s the quality

which is the proof in the pudding. Mapalé’s quality control is great and we’ve had nothing back in the months we’re been selling it. Plus, the collections are very wide so we’ve a lot of options. The catalogues are that big, that it’s a bit of a challenge for us. In better times there’s probably enough in Mapalé’s range for us to be a distributor for them alone. Lots to offer! Bridal, swimwear, Queen size... I think it’s the fastest growing lingerie brand in America.”

“Growing” triggered a question about sizing. Mapalé covers S (which internet chat suggests is very small – perhaps XS) to XXXXL, with Queen sizes on many ranges.

Kevin explained that when he visits stores that stock Mapalé, which includes Harmony and Tease & Please, he gets to see what they’ve done with it. He concluded by saying: “Retailers like to have something that looks good on display, but really care how it sells. If it generates repeat sales. If it does that’s a win-win for everyone, and if it doesn’t, they’re start stocking something else. Mapalé does well partly because of the packaging, which is very good, and partly because the product isn’t then a let-down. They also do hanging lines – so it’s not all boxed – and while new lines are fine, it’s the bestsellers that make the money. We all love to find lines that sell day in, day out. If customers want to know what Mapalé’s global best sellers are, we have that information.”

Colombia is known as “The land of a thousand rhythms” and maybe accordions are in the mix. All I know is for brand width, quality, presentation and price, Mapalé must be worth an exploratory strum.

That’s Handy

In a crowded market, how can manufacturers make their products stand out? This question has numerous answers but “unique design elements” is perhaps one of the worthier ones. We sent ETO features editor The Handy, a powered masturbator with adult content synchronisation.

Automated strokers need several things, I think: a certain subtlety; being no bigger than they need to be; not sounding like a tractor on a steep hill. With its minimalist dark grey shape, intuitive controls and low noise in use (60dB isn’t excessive), plus mains power, interchangeable inserts, and accessories options, The Handy has a comprehensive collection of “things”. I’ve seen it at various events over the years and even accepted a VR-headset-wearing demonstration where it stroked my knee in sync with a lady who’d seemingly joined me. However, I’d never delved deeper than commenting on the product in my show reports – and it absolutely deserves more of a spotlight than that. The best person to shine that light is probably Jens Petter Wilhelmsen (known as JP), founder and CEO of the company that makes The Handy, Ohdoki. He started the company to “spearhead Ohdoki’s evolution with a steadfast commitment to breaking taboos and fostering open, inclusive conversations about the intersection of intimacy and technology, championing the development of groundbreaking technologies that empower individuals to explore and enhance their intimate lives,” to quote something very corporate.

JP told me: “Imagine having the chance to enjoy a completely new sexual experience. Something between having sex and masturbating. That feels so good and so real, you forget it’s a toy. That’s what The Handy 2 is all about.”

I had a quick look at TheHandy.com. The Handy 2 seems to be the official name of what is a forthcoming update to The Handy but, logically, the second iteration. In car terms, the Mk2 is usually the best one.

All the Mk1’s bugs have been ironed out, but the cost-and-corner-cutting that comes with the Mk3 and beyond hasn’t yet happened.

JP continued: “The Handy 2 is an interactive male stroker to be enjoyed solo or with a partner, next to each other or remotely. It features both online and offline modes: you can play solo offline with easy-to-use controls on the device, allow someone to control it for you via app, or sync up to adult content (including VR) for immersive lifelike experiences, as the device moves in perfect sync with the action on the scene.”

The remote operation via the web adds a lot. Keeping long-distance romance alive, making an OnlyFans income, involving a third person in a very safe way. .. I allowed my imagination to make suggestions (“I want you to count slowly down from 100, aloud”) while JP added: “Being a stroker, it’s easy to imagine what it does. The Handy 2 offers adjustable stroke length and area, variable speed, and sync capabilities that allow it to match the rhythm of videos in real time. What makes it stand out is the combination of high build quality, reliable performance, the largest library of content to sync to, and the ability to personalise every session. As opposed to traditional masturbation and other devices on the market, each session with The Handy can feel completely different!”

The Handy 2

Focusing on versatility, JP commented: “Our users love it because it’s intuitive and versatile. They can even use it with other toys they like, such as Fleshlight. They can use it as a manual-control device, give someone control via free apps, or connect it to online content, and that’s something our end-users highly appreciate! In customer feedback, something we often hear is that it’s a ‘game-changer’.”

Retailing for around €190, the 700g, 23cmx7cm (1.5lb, 9”x2.75”) Handy can stroke between 10 and 600(!) times per minute. Unusually, it doesn’t follow the traditional “you wear it like a cock pump” format. Instead, it has a grip on the side to hold the included sleeve or, as JP pointed out, another unpowered toy. Additionally, the moving weight inside it, which is what causes the movement in operation, can be set to shift up to 11cm (4.3”). Or down to 0cm for more of an anticipation-tease. Finding something between these two which best suits the user is easy, thanks to the controls being clear – both on the device itself, and via the various apps by which it can be controlled. At this point, I imagine readers will have a question: “Why should retailers care?” With this in mind, I asked JP what’s in The Handy for retailers. He responded: “For retailers, The Handy 2 is more than a one-off sale. It’s a success case with a growing ecosystem of accessories and digital content – meaning repeat sales potential. And more importantly, it has proven demand. We’ve just wrapped up the Kickstarter launch for The Handy 2 towards early B2C customers, and the numbers don’t lie: over 5,200 backers and more than US$1,500,000 raised in only 60 days! That’s not just hype – that’s real trust from our community, and from the ones that are just getting to know us now. All that after highly successful years with The Handy 1, of which we’ve sold nearly 300,000 units worldwide. Other reasons stack up: The Handy 2 versatility allows it to be a fan favourite for both newcomers to male sex toys and to more experienced and tech-savvy users.” JP also promised strong margins, which reflect the

product’s premium positioning (“healthy retailer profit”), and a one-year warranty. There are POS resources, including high-quality photography, videos, demo units, and in-store display material.

If you’re going to EroFame in October, you can see The Handy in action. JP explained: “EroFame visitors will be able to get hands-on with The Handy, explore its features, and understand how to pitch it to customers. VR can also be a tool for our retail partners, and we'll be on site to explain those opportunities as well.”

The Scandi Handy

With TheHandy.com website mentioning “engineered in Scandinavia”, I was curious about the line’s development story so asked JP. He kindly replied: “When we first looked at the products on the market, it was clear something was missing. Most male sex toys weren’t built to last and certainly not built with the user in mind. After years in the industry, we saw the same pattern over and over: cut corners, chase margins, move on. We set out to build something better. Something we would want to use ourselves and that gets the job done.

“One curiosity is that we’ve been working on The Handy 2 since the day we released The Handy 1. It’s been seven years, over 270,000 units shipped, and countless lessons learned. The Handy 2, which also comes in a pro version, brings all the perks of its predecessor and improves them with advanced tech and a very good ear, as we listened to our community requests to bring [in] new features, such as built-in battery, built-in handsfree mounting screws for hands-free sessions, longer stroke length, click-on system for sleeves and accessories that makes it way easier to set up for a session and to attach other sleeves and products such as Fleshlights, brand-new intuitive LED interface, next-gen motor for more power and torque, and a much improved look and feel.”

Talk of a battery for the new model makes sense. It was a feature that feedback shown on the company’s TheHandy.com site highlighted as something desirable. That said, it got me wondering: any mass in the unit which doesn’t move basically deadens the effect of the moving weight within and makes it less efficient. The solution: use the battery as the moving mass. I don’t know if that’s Ohdoki’s design answer –equally, you could mount the battery outside the unit

all together and have it powered via a cable. Like the original Handy, but battery-powered rather than plugged into the wall. Anyway, we shall soon know.

“The Handy 2 is now ready to hit the market,” JP explained, “and the roadmap includes more content partnerships, new sleeves, brand new accessories, and a development mindset that allows us to continuously improve both our software and hardware capabilities.”

“We have been able to maintain and establish key distribution points across the globe,” expanded JP. “Our key relationships in the EU with Orion and EQOM allow a variety of clients to secure inventory easily –with just the touch of a button. Within the US, our burgeoning Nalpac relationship will position The Handy’s ecosystem in new spaces. We also recognise the challenge of global commerce and, as such, have strategic warehousing in place to circumvent uncertainties. Our communication lines are always open to new partners – in fact, we’d love to experiment with them, recognising the evolving shift in how consumers shop and experience a brand.”

To end, I asked JP whether there were any quirky details from The Handy’s story he could share. He concluded: “We have some fantastic feedback and quotes from users and testers. Touching on the versatility of The Handy, one user once shared on our community: ‘Buy The Handy for yourself and be happy every time you use it. Teach your partner how to control The Handy for you and be happy ever after.’ While one of our early testers famously refused to return a prototype, claiming it was ‘already a part of the household’. That set the tone for the product’s reputation: once you try it, you don’t want to give it back.”

Testers willing to admit to theft is certainly a sign and we wait to see The Handy 2 with anticipation. In the meantime, the original is still available and, by mounting the sleeve outside the “drive unit”, it remains one of the most adaptable powered masturbators out there. Add in remote control via Bluetooth or wi-fi, very remote control via the internet, and media-sync, and you’ve a stand-out product for the stand-up penis. Lastly, if you were wondering about accessories, there are more than a dozen sleeves offering different sensations, a hands-free kit with an arm that clamps to a table-top, and an additional grip band – the thing holding the powered unit to the sleeve. Something for everyone (with a penis). Power on!

The Handy 2

Founder and CEO,

Jens Petter Wilhelmsen (JP)

Allpresent andcorrect

Tis the season! Luxury toys and gifts, sexy stocking fillers, games to play… and of course perhaps the ultimate Christmas accessory: the advent calendar. ETO has opened all the presents early and rounds up both familiar and more unusual gifting options, as well as offering a few ideas about giving your store that magical festive touch.

GAMES

Games people play

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without playing games. We’ve yet to see the Monopoly: Pleasure Products edition (Advance to anal? Pass “come” instead of “go”? Collect 200 dildos?) but there are some excellent choices for customers who can’t resist a Christmas game or two.

Creative Conceptions first created Monogamy back in 2001 with the aim of enhancing connection and intimacy between couples. It’s since sold more than two million copies worldwide and was reinvented earlier this year to be more reflective of today’s society. (The box is also 40 percent smaller, so there’s easier storage right there!)

CC’s other bestseller, You & Me, was also given a brand new look earlier this year, with the hope of capturing a wider demographic. The game pack includes 90 ideas, activities and suggestions, with the ultimate reward being a sexual favour.

And Creative Conceptions hasn’t forgotten the whole “he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice” Christmas scenario. The brand’s Naughty and Nice game is actually three distinct games featuring “nice” suggestions for romantic dates and “naughty” ideas at the more erotic end of the spectrum.

Meanwhile, Dutch brand Biird launched Together earlier this year. It’s a beautifully presented card game aimed at helping couples to reconnect and was created in collaboration with sex educator and bestselling author June Pla.

There are 180 gorgeously designed cards across six categories, from the everyday to the intimate to the kinky. Some questions will prompt play while others consider sex and trust.

Creative Conceptions’ Monogamy, You & Me and Naughty Or Nice games

Biird’s Together card game

LUXURY GIFTING

Luxury gifting

Customers looking for a really special or indulgent Christmas gift are often prepared to spend more than they might during the months from January to November. LELO is known for the luxe feel of its product ranges, (the latest Switch double-ended vibe blends gold accents with cute pink, lilac or aqua colourways) but the brand takes that even further with the Inez 24-carat gold vibrator. Yes, it really is fully gold-plated; yes, it featured in And Just Like That and yes, it’s expensive. And don’t think glistening gold is reserved for women – XR Brands has the Master Series Midas Locking Chastity Cage, a heavy-duty stainless-steel design plated with 18-carat gold. Meanwhile, Satisfyer’s Pret-à-porter clitoral stimulator is super glam, combining silicone, real white leather and rose gold detailing, powered by two motors that produce 11 pressure wave and 10 vibration programmes. Amping up the “holiday season special” mood is Pipedream’s 24k gold edition of its Her Ultimate Pleasure toy. The three-in-one stimulator features licking, sucking and vibrating actions powered by four separate motors across seven tongue patterns, three suction modes and 10 vibration options. The festive version comes in a limited-edition red colourway with a 24-carat gold-plated accent, includes a travel bag and is packaged in a luxury gift box.

Gold accents find their way on to SVAKOM’s new DuoGlow (launching in October), which pairs a thrusting, beaded vibrator with a detachable pulsating stimulator that includes a heating function. Honey Play Box’s Harmony Duo strapless strap-on also gets into the gold accents game; the toy features nine tapping and vibrating modes, as well as app control for remote couples’ play.

Talking of luxe couples’ play, Pipedream recently launched two inflatable loveseats in the Fetish Fantasy range. They both feature the universal Body Dock strap-on system. “Give the gift of enhanced positioning this Christmas,” anyone?

Pipedream brings the Christmas sparkle, too, with a masturbator in luxurious packaging that features LED lights. The brand’s PDX Elite range now features the ViewTube See-Thru EZ-Grip LED, which offers variable suction patterns and the chance for users to see exactly what’s going on. Moving into the high-end cosmetics department, Bijoux Indiscrets’ Bubblegum play kit features warming massage oil, full body massage gel (water-based and doubles up as an intimate gel) and oral pleasure lip gloss with a peppermint tingle. Intt Cosmetics’ gold-packaged Orgasm Now combines arousal gel with a stimulating capsule for both solo female and couples’ foreplay. Or if it’s all about the smell, LELO’s luxury warming scented massage candles offer the aroma combos of black pepper and pomegranate, vanilla and crème de cacao or snow pear and cedarwood. Christmas also means jewellery. Californian brand Crave’s Vesper 2 necklace (with a 24-carat gold option) is both a statement piece and an external vibrator – extremely subtle, absolutely luxurious, and now waterproof. The brand also offers pleasure jewellery sets including cuffs. And let’s not forget lingerie. If you’re tempted to order the YesX Christmas range through Alterego – the collection includes teddies, bra sets, body stockings and babydolls – Alterego offers retailers complementary gift packaging, as well as a bespoke option where you could have your logo printed on to the ribbon. Alterego has also given ETO readers an exclusive 15 percent discount on gift-packaging options on its website, using the code ETOGIFT15.

LELO’s Inez 24-carat gold vibe

XR Brands’ Midas Locking Chastity Cage

SVAKOM’s new DuoGlow vibe

PDX Elite View Tube by Pipedreams

LELO’s luxury warming scented massage candles

Pipedreams’ Fetish Fantasy Inflatable Love Seat

Vesper 2 Necklace vibe and cuffs by Crave

Bubblegum Play Kit

ADVENT CALENDARS

Calendars and boxes

Creating pleasure-product advent calendars isn’t the news story it once was – the challenge each year for brands now seems to be to make calendars even better value. Besides, why confine daily-unboxing fun to December?

Tonga’s Pleasure Box Sexy Calendar is purposefully marketed as a year-round product, and includes couples’ toys, anal beads, nipple pasties, a stroker, a cock ring and a whole bunch of vibes. Shunga’s Calendar of Desires also stands slightly apart from Christmas, with its 25 boxes celebrating the brand’s quarter-century anniversary by revisiting classic products (as well as showcasing new ones).

But for some of us, the festive season is all about opening a new box and getting a treat every December day during the run-up to Christmas.

Orion Wholesale’s Erotic Advent Calendar 2025 includes toys from Belou and Magic Shiver, as well as lubes and massage oils from Just Glide, plus games and a scannable QR code where customers can see product information and sex tips.

Lovehoney has gone all-out this year, with four premium calendars, plus –perhaps most interestingly – a budget option for the first time.

The Couples’ Advent Calendar contains a selection of Womanizer, We-Vibe and Lovehoney products over 24 days, including the Womanizer Classic 2, the C-shaped We-Vibe Sync Lite and the classic Lovehoney Bullet. Then there’s the luxury 24-day calendar, which also contains goodies from Arcwave. A 12-day option targeted at people with vulvas includes Lovehoney’s Venus Glow shell-shaped clit-suction toy. The new Enjoy 24-Day Calendar is budget-conscious but still includes toys featuring Womanizer’s best-known tech, as well as a G-Spot stim and a bullet.

Tenga has added an additional surprise to the 2025 edition of its advent calendar, which features 24 Tenga eggs and an extra present for Christmas Day. The eggs will feature a variety of textures and patterns, as well as a flavour of the brand’s new Standard series (scheduled to launch in October). Satisfyer has themed its 2025 advent calendars around a “House of Love” concept, with gift packaging featuring a grand residence in a (very Christmassy) snowy European street. There are two versions: Deluxe and Premium. Deluxe includes a range of Satisfyer and Fun Factory items, from Fun Factory’s Wicked Wings vibe to Satisfyer’s Riffle egg. The Premium is a smorgasbord of sex products, including Satisfyer’s iconic Pro 2 Kiss air pulse vibe, items from Fun Factory’s Stronic range, massage oils, lubes, an erotic game, lace handcuffs, loveballs… the list goes on. (For 24 days!)

If you and your customers feel it’s time to think beyond a set of numbered boxes, perhaps consider the themed gift box instead... Tonga’s Dream Toys gift boxes cover a variety of tastes and kinks, and they’re all beginner-friendly, so include instructions, tips and tricks. Let’s Go Anal opens the world of anal play with plugs, beads, lubes and a shower. Let’s Go Kink features handcuffs, nipple clamps, an SM candle and rope. The two Love to Play (a box for him, a box for her) kits include a selection of toys and lube, while Let’s Play Together features a remote-controlled C-shaped couples’ vibe, cock rings, an egg and bondage ribbon.

Shunga’s Calendar of Desires

Lovehoney’s calendars (clockwise) Enjoy, Romance, Luxury and Indulge

Satisfyers’ Deluxe (top) and Premium 2025 advent calendars

Dream Toys’ beginner-friendly gift boxes by Tonga

STOCKING FILELRS

Stocking fillers

Now, we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with a selection box and a satsuma, but something small and sexy in a stocking could be the perfect discreet treat. Creative Conceptions’ mini Unihorn USBs are just the right shape and size for stocking fillers. Across seven styles and colourways, each compact vibe offers users 10 speeds, water-resistance and of course USB rechargeability. CC also offers retailers a POS display for the whole range.

For something a little larger but still with a fun feel, You2Toys’ Heart Guy Vibrators (via Orion Wholesale) are soft silicone vibes in pink, purple or blue with 10 vibration modes and a suction base. They can also be inserted into harnesses. You2Toys also has something for the penis-owner: the Gyro compact masturbator is a discreet toy featuring an inner texture with dots and grooves and a gyro motor offering up to 2,850 rotations and up to 5,700 shaking movements per minute.

Bijoux Indiscrets’ Aphrodisia orgasm enhancement balm is beautifully packaged and promises users “increased sensations” on the clit. It contains the brand’s ArgiSens blend of arginine and Brazilian ginseng root juice, created via a cold-pressing process.

How about a Christmassy butt plug? Nothasaur’s “jolly” tree-shaped plug definitely gives festive feels. Or perhaps gold is the answer: XR Brands has Curve Toys’ Royal Hiney collection of gold butt plugs. Wouldn’t it be fun to find a Christmas outfit at the bottom of a stocking?

Cottelli Lingerie (via Orion Wholesale) has a Christmas top and skirt set, while Orion’s Svenjoyment range for men includes a couple of festive strings. Or why not go totally meta and suggest that customers fill a stocking with stockings?

Alterego’s Black Secret range is all about the Christmas luxury feels. Maybe take one step further and offer the opportunity for customers to wrap themselves up like a present? Creative Conceptions’ Sei Mio Bound in Love Bondage Tape should do the trick.

Mini Unihorn USBs Bean Blossom (left) & Cupids Beau by Creative Conceptions

You2Toys Heart Guy vibes from Orion Wholesale

Cottelli Lingerie’s Christmas set via Orion Wholesale

Sei Mio Bound in Love Tape by Creative Conceptions

Aphrodisia orgasm balm by Bijoux Indiscrets

Nothasaur’s tree-shaped butt plug

Curve Toys’ Royal Hiney gold butt plug via XR Brands

You2Toys Gyro masturbator via Orion Wholesale

StepintoChristmas

Deck the halls, or keep your Christmas visual merchandising low-key? We've collected a few ideas for in-store displays and events over the festive season.

Small is beautiful

Secret Santa presents! Create a display of cock rings, travel-sized vibes, egg masturbators, candy underwear etc that will work as discreet but sexy gifts, or even stocking-fillers.

Party on!

Get the festive season off to a strong start with an evening Christmas party for invited customers? Games, prizes, gingerbread, prosecco…

Trees are good

The Christmas tree can be trad, camp, sexy… or something else. Glitter and fairy lights might be your thing, or how about homemade decs featuring bullet vibes or butt plugs?

Your store is a safe space

Not everyone likes Christmas –in fact, some customers may be visiting because they wish to escape all things festive. Maybe don’t “festivise” the whole store.

If you don’t fancy making the entire shop into a grotto, set aside a dedicated space (a table, a shelving unit) that’s all about the Christmas feels.

Lean into luxury

If you’re emphasising luxury gifting, big displays, flashing lights and neon signs might not be the way forward. Pared-back, subtle lighting and simple displays could be more effective.

Set the scene

You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a Christmas scene: gold and sparkles, an empty Champagne bottle in a pool of holiday-celebration detritus such as streamers, XXXmas confetti, discarded gift bows…

Keep it simple

Sticking to a limited colour palette, or a fairly narrow theme, will keep the display looking focused and cohesive. While seasonal themes add some playfulness – or playfulmess – you still want the focus to be on the product you’re selling.

Further information

alterego-lingerie.com

bijouxindiscrets.com

biird.co

creativeconceptions.co.uk

eustore.tenga.co

inttcosmetics.com

lelo.com

lovehoney.com

lovecrave.com

nothosaur.com

orion-wholesale.de

satisfyer.com

shunga.com

tongabv.com

wholesale.pipedreamproducts.eu

xrbrands.com

Additional visual merchandising material from Drew Bigglestone, Ian Diamond, Renée Denyer, ETO’s Mystery Shopper

ANME 2025

Neon vibes, Polynesian-themed toys, bondage ponies… and food from some of LA’s best-known eateries? It can only mean one thing: the Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo (ANME). Tod Hunter was ETO’s man in Burbank, California, checking out new products and feeling the vibe of the expo.

Buyers and manufacturers returned to the independent San Fernando Valley city of Burbank for the annual ANME Founders Show between 14-16 July. The show took place at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport hotel, conveniently across Hollywood Way from the regional Hollywood Burbank Airport, a domestic transportation hub favoured by tourists and business travellers who want to avoid the 24-hour logjam of airplane and vehicle traffic at Los Angeles International Airport, some 30 miles away.

The expo took place in the hotel’s convention centre and an adjacent air-conditioned tent. Between the hotel and the convention centre, an outdoor picnic-table area reserved for ANME attendees functioned as a luncheon venue, with meals provided by food trucks from legendary LA eateries including In-N-Out Burger and Pink’s Hot Dogs, keeping buyers and sellers on the premises all day and encouraging networking on lunch breaks. In deference to the hotel’s family-tourist-and-business-traveller clientele, signs were posted in the hotel’s public areas

requesting ANME attendees to talk business only on the show floor, although discreet branded signage made non-specific references such as “Follow the vibes” and “Feel the Real” under a yellow circle with the pjur logo in the centre.

The big three

The convention centre’s Academy Ballroom featured the three remaining ANME Founders – CalExotics, Doc Johnson and Nasstoys – in its high-traffic centre spaces, with other manufacturers and brands around the sides.

Nichole Grossmann, CalExotics’ director of marketing, told ETO that CalExotics was introducing 80 new SKUs during the show for release starting in August. Among the new additions, Rave is a series of three 10-speed silicone mini-vibes in neon colours. “They all have unique, fun designs to them: one has swirls, one has a quilted texture, this one has dragon scales,” Grossmann pointed out. “People love the colour combinations, they love the intensity of the vibration, and they love the price point: US$37.99-US$41.”

Kroma silicone mini-vibes are waterproof, USB-rechargeable “and incredibly powerful, with 10 speeds”, Grossmann said. The Rumbler line has three dual-motor vibes in wand, rabbit, and G-Spot designs with a deep, powerful vibration. Elation is a range comprising a pair of USB-rechargeable silicone dual stimulators with two motors to vibrate and power

CalExotics’ new Rave mini vibes

either a suction or thrusting function. Both feature an eye-catching, light-blue-fading-to-pink colour scheme. The Stroke It line has a new Juicy Pussy, a liquid-silicone stroker (“Incredibly soft, very, very nice,” Grossmann said), and the Vibrating Twerking BBL, a 4.5kg vibrating twerking “life-size ass stroker” with two motors, 10 functions, and two orifices for the user’s pleasure. The Xcess line has added the Hot Moaning Pussy stroker, with 10 vibration functions, a warming sensation, and earphones included for a moaning soundtrack.

Doc Johnson introduced new pastel-coloured mushroom-shaped UltraSkyn TPE strokers and rechargeable 10-function vibes under the Mochi label. There are also seven new Fantasy Fuckers creature-inspired dildos, all compatible with Doc Johnson’s signature Vac-U-Lock harnesses. “These are new for us. It’s something different, we’ve never ventured into these shapes,” product development brand manager Krystal Silva said. The Rock Solid gay line has added The Code, a line of 10 coloured C-rings, each packaged with a matching-colour bandana to hang out of the user’s back pocket. Point-of-sale marketing materials explain the colour code for the uninitiated.

The Good Head line now includes green apple and watermelon salivating gummies (“It really just takes one. My mouth started watering instantly. And the flavour is good.”) and new apple pie and chocolate donut blowjob kits, with an UltraSkyn novelty C-ring and flavoured Slick Head Glide.

The Polynesian Pleasures series is a new addition to Doc Johnson’s toy lineup. “It’s been a passion project of mine for a while,” Polynesian Pleasures founder

Valentino Tolman told ETO. “It’s from my heritage, because I’m half-Polynesian, raised in Hawaii, and I’m a huge tiki fan. When I created the Pleasure Idol dongs –they wanted me to call them ‘Pleasure Gods’, but I said no, they’re idols – each name reflects what they do. For instance, Mala Ma’ona is the orgy idol. The vibes are called ‘Into the C’: it’s wordplay. We also have keychains, which we call Ti-Key Chains. I’ll be presenting these at a Tiki convention here in LA next month.”

Nasstoys has taken 12 bestselling items and manufactured them in new colours and packaging for a new line, Royale. “This line has been cherry-picked from all of the very top sellers out of all of the collections,” Nasstoys sales rep Sara Gaffoor told ETO. “This one is from the Clit-Tastic line. It’s the exact same thing, but it’s in pink. It’s packaged differently; it doesn’t say the word ‘clit’ on it because most boutiques can’t have provocative words. The packaging is a little softer and cleaner, with display on the front and information on the back. The blue collection is for penis-havers, the pink collection is for vulva-owners, and the purple collection is for derriere. It’s an opportunity for our customers, and our customers’ customers, to enjoy them. It’s going to do really well because it already is doing well.”

Footballs and hassocks

Pipedream debuted a new Inflatable Love Ball with a Body Dock anchor on top. “You can use any suction-cup dildo on there,” account executive Veronika told us. “You can also introduce it to any other of our Body Dock line. You can use the handles to thrust, or you can put a dildo on it and bounce. It

takes your riding to a whole ’nother level and it’s shaped somewhat like a football [An American football, UK and European readers!]. Go Raiders!” she added, referencing the originally-California-based NFL team that relocated to Las Vegas in 2020. A similar Inflatable Love Seat is shaped like a small hassock. Both are scheduled for September release, with the Love Ball MSRP US$44.99 and the Love Seat MSRP US$89.99.

Creative Conceptions is introducing a new glass range called Clarity. The brand’s head of global sales Brad Taylor told ETO: “The packaging has two windows, so the light can shine through, and you can see straight through the product as well. We have light-up point-of-sale displays that will really pop in the store. With 30 SKUs, it’s our biggest toy release ever. The packages are colour-coded, depending on the functionality, so that helps consumers make sense of the range: ‘You want something anal? You want something dark blue.’ It’s premium borosilicate tempered glass, its non-porous, it’s very hygienic, you can introduce temperature play and all sorts of good stuff with it.”

Shots America debuted new five-inch Real Rock dongs in clear, pink, purple, green and blue. “We’ve been hearing non-stop requests for these,” graphic designer Luis Castro told ETO. “Maybe a six-incher is too intimidating for some, beginners who just want to get into it.” There were also displays of naughty stuffed animals and a rainbow-striped stuffed penis toy featured the QR code for the Shots catalogue.

New pastel-coloured, mushroom-shaped Mochi vibes by Doc Johnson

Creative Conceptions’ new Clarity range

Real Rock dong display by Shots America

Fully charged for fun

Fun Factory, now owned by the parent company behind Satisfyer, has moved its manufacturing to China, “so everything is USB-C rechargeable, we’ve gotten away from the click-and-charge,” company rep Kara told ETO. “We’ve also come out with air pulse toys, which for Fun Factory is very new. We have 10 new air pulse SKUs. We also have an entire new line of Stronics. There’s a magnet inside that makes the toy go back and forth for a thrusting pulse.” Satisfyer also showcased new vibrators in the shape of dinosaurs and mushrooms.

Novelty manufacturer Wood Rocket, founded by parody video producer Lee Roy Myers, brought showmanship to its booth by having adult performers

signing DVDs. “It’s amazing. My first time here,” performer Lauren Phillips told ETO. “It’s like a candy store for me.” Wood Rocket reflects its parody roots with novelty items such as hand-held fans that say “Bad Bitch” in the Barbie font, enamel pins, and “Snarky Gift Bags” printed with declarations including “Definitely not weed” and “This present doesn’t suck”. XR Brands has increased its Creature Cocks line: “The line started as dildos, and now we have boxer shorts; we call them ‘Cocksers,’ and each one has the creature cock on the front. We have anal plugs, we have cock rings, we have thrusters, we have pretty much every category,” Rob Phaneuf, director of sales and marketing, told ETO. A new line of triple-density TPE dildos is made from three pours: one for the firm core, then the softer outer layer, and finally a separate pour for the suction cup. “Not all suction cups are

created equal,” Phaneuf laughed. A CBT pillory tower has two adjustment points for height variations. Bondage Ponies have been added to complement the Bondage Teddy Bears.

Plugs and prices

Gay-oriented toy line Oxballs debuted two new large brightly-coloured Pighole plugs: Supermax and Colossus. “People asked, and we gave them what they wanted,” brand manager Kim Hinds told me. “We also added some priced-right toys for today’s cost-conscious cock-and-balls-toy buyer. We’re bringing in some new liquid-silicone toys in fun new colours that we’ve never done before, because you can’t do bright, bold colours in TPR: they’re orange, green, yellow.” Entrepreneurs Justin Depow and Philip Ryder were

Snarky Gift Bags from Wood Rocket

Bondage teddy bears and new ponies from Shots America

introducing CockBlock. “[It’s] the only toy that allows penis users to have face-to-face sex in a whole brand-new way. We call it a front new way to have sex,” Depow said. The users insert in the two holes, which merge on the inside for penis-on-penis contact. The sleeve is held in a silicone shell, “because it sits between bodies, so we didn’t want a hard plastic. Also, it can be squeezed if you want more tightness, and it gives a little if you’re really girthy.”

Our Erotic Journey unveiled the new Zodiac Collection, a line of 12 10-function USB-rechargeable silicone mini-vibrators designed to match the signs of the zodiac.

Making Musick

Sportsheets introduced new Lace products into its Sex & Mischief line, including a spreader bar with a lace pattern. “The fashion items in this collection are really, really cute,” brand ambassador Rin Musick told ETO. “Great for year-round fashion sales.” A new Peaches ‘n’ CreaMe line includes peach-coloured leg garters with decorative pearl chain accents. “If every bride isn’t wearing these by April, I’ve done something wrong,” Musick laughed.

Kheper Games’ new SKUs include Hustler-branded 50th anniversary nude centrefold playing cards, and 20 Years of Hot Naked Men playing cards. “Fully nude. I had people tell me ‘Don’t give us a bunch of soft-dicked men.’ It’s like porn,” CEO Brian Pelham told ETO. Drinking game “7 Deadly Sins”, is perhaps unsurprisingly about the seven deadly sins, and the “Drink if...” drinking game line has a new Taboo version. Pelham said: “It goes into religion, fetishes, politics a little bit: ‘Drink if you’d go to church more often if the choir performed topless.’ It’s not blasphemous, just over the top.” A new foreplay card game, “Flirt!” features the rainbow Progress flag on the box and includes challenges such as: “Offer a wallet-emptying tip-worthy lap dance.” Pelham said: “Straight people can do this too. The Progress flag is meant to be inclusive of everybody.”

No-waste stroker lube

JO has a new Stroker Lube, specifically for use with stroker toys, in a squeeze bottle with a pointed tip. “No muss, no fuss, and you don’t waste product,” North American sales director Timothy Ferencz told ETO. “It’s a water-based formula, so it’s great with all toys. It has a great viscosity and it’ll stay lubed a lot longer than other water-based lubes. It doesn’t dry out.” Another new product is Cumplay, “a water-silicone-aloe formula that’s compatible with all your toys. The aloe helps retain moisture in the vaginal and anal area. A white creamy texture, exactly like

cum. This is a big hit with the content creators, with squirting toys, because it’s visual. It also does not have a scent. An eight-ounce bottle with a pump top is only US$22.99. Great price point.”

Tenga unveiled new egg strokers: “It’s the hard-boiled version: It’s a brown egg,” sales and marketing rep Hayato said. “it’s more firm, much more stimulating.” Sliquid is condensing its massage oil line “and giving it a little bit of a refresh,” marketing director Erik Vasquez told ETO. It’s retaining the unscented massage oil and adding two new scents, replacing the old scented oils. One has a mint/cedar scent – “It’s an earthy, spa-like experience” – and the other is citrus/neroli, “a sweeter scent, a different profile from the mint and cedar. Two different options for people who are looking for two different experiences in their massages.”

As the show ended, ANME Show Director Lacy Empkey told ETO that: “While global challenges impacted attendance slightly, the energy on the show floor remained strong. ANME continues to prove that quality over quantity matters most – exhibitors reported meaningful conversations, solid orders, and a highly productive show. We’re proud to support an industry that shows up with intention, connection, and innovation.”

The next ANME Founders Show will take place between 13-15 July 2026. Admission to the ANME Founders show is restricted to professionals in the adult novelty field.

CockBlock’s Justin Depow and Philip Ryder

Social Intercourse

Beyond socials: why email still wins

While social media accounts are subject to algorithms and censorship, email happily exists in the background: a place where small brands and independent stores can connect with customers by creating relevant, personalised content that augments relationships. Maria Prendeville reports.

The one thing every B2B marketer is thinking about right now? Getting their email newsletter back on track. Whether starting from scratch or sending out a cheeky “Sorry we ghosted you!” note, email is a top priority… as it should be! You might be thinking: “Ugh, but my inbox is already bursting with summer sales and Black Friday deals I’ll never open.” And you’d be right. Inbox fatigue is real. Add Google’s new “unsubscribe” button appearing directly in the inbox, and it might feel like the odds are stacked against you before you’ve even written your subject line.

But here’s the thing: email isn’t dead. In fact, it’s the most resilient tool we’ve got in industries where social media feels like a minefield of censorship, ever-shifting algorithms and low reach.

Social media platforms shadowban, censor, or outright block adult businesses, even when our content is educational or health-focused. A recent whitepaper by CensHERship and The Case for Her found that 95 percent of women’s health and sexual wellness brands experienced some form of censorship on very large online platforms (VLOPs) in the last year alone. That means nearly every single business in our space has lost reach, engagement and customers through no fault of their own. Which makes email more vital for the survival of our businesses than ever before.

Why email is back

So why is email marketing still a winner?

You own your audience

Unlike social media followers, your email list can’t be shadowbanned. Yes, you can end up in spam, but once you use double-opt-in features and accessible subject lines, you can keep your list clean so subscribers WANT to hear from you and don’t flag your emails.

Higher conversions through segmentation and personalisation

B2B buyers are busy. With email, you can tailor content to distributors, retailers or partners, instead of blasting everyone with the same generic message.

Less reliance on social media drama

Instagram down? TikTok bans a hashtag? Your account gets flagged? Your email list is safe. It’s a direct line to

your audience: permission-based access to people who want to hear from you. No algorithm required.

Audience appetite for depth

Email lets you go beyond a quick Reel or post. In B2B especially, decision-makers want detail: case studies, behind-the-scenes, product specs, training resources and thought leadership – all of which shine in email. As an independent retailer, email is a personal channel to a customer who may not have been in store for a while.

Email proves invaluable for both B2B and B2C There’s a myth that email only works for consumer sales from the large companies with more marketing budget. Flashy offers, discounts, product drops. But in B2B or independent B2C stores, email can be just as effective and even more powerful, because it builds relationships and positions your brand as a trusted partner.

Educational content and thought leadership

Position your brand as the expert in your industry. It might seem counter-intuitive; the more information you give away, the more people will copy your ideas. Be flattered if they do! Your brand has a unique tone of voice and your readers will be delighted to hear that. For stores that have specialist knowledge, these pieces really allow you to shine through.

Example: As a retailer that specialises in inclusive LGBTQ+ products, you can educate around product fit and body-safe toys. Or a lubricant manufacturer who shares monthly insights on the latest research around sexual wellness, paired with training tips for retailers.

Industry insights and trends

Keep your clients ahead of the curve. Share topical and trending content relating to your industry, and don’t be afraid to share unpopular opinions on what’s “not” as well as what’s “hot” at that moment, too! Think Harry Styles’ latest sex toy release… are we team yay or nay?

Example: A distributor sends a quarterly “What’s selling” report with data on top categories (eg suction toys, eco-friendly lubes, or pegging kits) so retailers know what to stock. Similarly, retailers can reach their customers in a highly targeted way with “What’s trending in our customers’ bedrooms this month?” listicles and think-pieces.

Case studies and success stories

Case studies about your successful clients are so impactful – I cannot stress this enough. Go one step further and share your case study on your website or on socials as a downloadable PDF. This way, readers have to give their name and email address to access the case study, therefore getting more trusted email sign-ups on your list.

Example: “How we helped 10 retailers boost average basket size by 25 percent with a curated display kit.”

Training and staff education

Help your clients sell better by arming their teams with quick, actionable resources they can use right away. Think sales tips, visual merchandising tricks, or confidence-boosting product knowledge. When retailers’ staff know how to position a product and

Maria Prendeville

Follow us on:

Take a leaf out of Tenga Spain’s book with this bold, flowing design for their men’s sleeve masturbators. The TENGA newsletter is very interactive, as you can see with the different product categories to choose from at the top of the newsletter, giving it more of a website selection feel.

handle common objections, everyone wins.

Example: A wholesaler sends “How to upsell lube with every toy sale” guides or a five-minute training video.

Event and trade show invitations

Boost attendance, deepen relationships, and give your clients a reason to show up in person. Share the value of attending events and shows, from exclusive first looks at new product lines to networking opportunities with discounts, so they know it’s worth the trip.

Example: “We’ll be at EroSpain Booth 42! Book your appointment now for a sneak peak of the winter 2025 product lines.”

Notice how there is so much more to share than

this email from

simple distributor-to-retailer product updates and launches?! We see way too many of these in our inboxes and honestly, they’re the number one ticket to unsubscribes and zero percent open rates. By all means add them to your newsletter strategy, but have them as part of the much bigger picture of engaging with your list. When you stop treating your newsletter like a sales flyer and start seeing it as a relationship tool, email becomes a game-changer.

Actionable next steps

Audit your current email efforts

How are you collecting emails? For example, at trade shows, website pop-ups, or checkout forms? A sign-up form in-store or an additional step to sign up after customers buy? Is your list currently active, dormant, or a dusty file on someone’s desktop?

Define your newsletter’s purpose and audience

Is your goal nurturing leads and building relationships, keeping retailers informed on the latest launches, or building thought leadership through valuable, exclusive content pieces? Be clear on who you’re writing for and what problems they want solved. Better again, ask your audience what they want to read in your newsletters.

Choose a cadence you can stick to

Once a month is fine to start. Don’t burn out by over-promising. Consistency always wins over trying to strive for more frequent newsletters.

Plan your content pillars

Pick two-to-four themes you can return to: product news, trends, tips, behind-the-scenes updates. You might find it works better to combine some themes in the newsletters, or you could try A/B testing the newsletters to find what your audiences prefer. Ensure you provide a healthy mix so your newsletters always feel fresh and focused!

Repurpose your best-performing social content, then go deeper by providing exclusive insights and opinions that you wouldn’t normally share on your socials.

Decide on a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Every email needs a “next step”: Book a call. Order now. Read the blog. Register for a webinar. Remember from our last article, every piece of content should have a goal! When you go to write your newsletter, pick a theme and also decide what goal that should match up with.

Select the right platform and ensure compliance

Use a trusted provider (MailerLite, Klaviyo, ConvertKit, etc) with GDPR compliance baked in. Always include unsubscribe links and respect data privacy, your audience will trust you more if they can see clear paths that allow them to change their settings if they wish.

Test and improve

Measure open rates, clicks, and conversions. You’ll be surprised by what you might find! That link to a blog that you didn’t think would hit home suddenly has the highest clicks? Use this information to tailor future email newsletters. What was it about your product

launch email that got so many retailers to click “Contact us for more info?”

A/B test subject lines such as “Meet the Hottest New Toy This Month” vs “Boost Sales by 30 percent With This Bestseller”. Do this with segmented lists to see how different audiences respond to varied subject lines.

Let’s go beyond socials

Email marketing isn’t just alive, it’s thriving, especially for B2B brands in the adult industry. Social media may be trying to silence us and our customers, but email gives us a space to show up authentically, share real value, and build long-term relationships.

So don’t wait! Audit that dormant list, plan your first newsletter, and start today. Because the more we take up space in inboxes, with respect, strategy, and a little spark, the more control we have to share value and build that bottom line.

The Honey Play Box team uses clear and concise copy to convey how its products work for end-customers. Straight to the point!

I loved

LELO because it had a GIF of a vibrator moving as you scrolled through the mail! Very eye-catching and easy-to-read information about the product.

Honey Play Box goes big on product advertising and bright imaging.

AAE 2025 Innovation, bold design, and the future of pleasure

Event Asia Adult Expo (AAE)

Dates 26-28 August 2025

Venue Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Visitors 4,500

Exhibitors 300

From silicone brains to gold-jewellery-inspired butt plugs, this year’s Asia Adult Expo showcased the latest developments, trends and ideas across our industry. ETO publisher Jason Dante was there to see it all.

Hong Kong, late August. Soaked in relentless heat and humidity, the city buzzes with life. This is a place where East meets West, skyscrapers rise above Victoria Harbour, and neon-lit streets lead to late-night food stalls, temples and rooftop bars. As one of the most cosmopolitan cities on earth, Hong Kong is perhaps the perfect setting for a truly international gathering.

Bringing together pleasure industry innovators from around the globe, the 16th edition of Asia Adult Expo (AAE) welcomed 4,500 visitors and more than 300 exhibitors to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Big, bold and eyecatching

This year’s show floor demonstrated a noticeable shift towards polished presentation and experiential design. Several brands opted for expansive statement stands – Pretty Love, Xuan AI, S-Hande and Odeco all went large, with sleek layouts and bold graphics that made their booths unmissable.

Equally impressive, however, were those that proved that size isn’t everything. Lockink and ByFetishFactory stood out with inventive layouts and striking branding, while BDSM Leather Products Manufacturer packed a visual punch with its medium-sized booth, made all

the more memorable by its commitment to 100 percent vegan leather across the range. Lockink also drew admiring glances for its gold hollow butt plugs –pieces that looked as much like jewellery as pleasure products, blurring the line between erotic novelty and luxury design. Kissky, meanwhile, balanced sharp branding with product innovation, ensuring a steady flow of visitors throughout the three days.

The “Did you see that?” factor

AAE is known for its headline-grabbing product launches and live demonstrations, and 2025 was no exception. Japanese rope bondage performances using a dramatic suspension pyramid frame pulled strong crowds, while live pole dancing added an unmistakable buzz to the show floor.

Gold hollow butt plugs by Lockink

BDSM Leather Products Manufacturer

Kissky’s Ion Antibacterial Lust Beast

Kissky created one of the biggest talking points with the launch of its Ion Antibacterial Lust Beast –a product as striking for its sleek packaging (a jewellery-box-style presentation case) as for its technical claims. Visitors queued to see a demonstration, often spilling into the adjacent space while the pole dancing was under way.

Anime dolls, torsos and even silicone feet retained their loyal followings, but this year also brought star power: a Japanese adult actress attended the show to promote her new life-size replica doll, further underlining the crossover between influencer culture and product innovation.

For those with an appetite for the unusual, Motsugroup delivered its trademark mix of tongue-in-cheek novelty and shock factor. The brand’s “multi-hole silicone cake” was pitched as either a solo indulgence or a group-sharing experience, while its anatomically inspired silicone brain – playfully marketed to sapiosexuals – became one of the most photographed curiosities of the show. Dongguan Beileqing Sex Toys also provoked conversation with a torso that simulated menstrual bleeding at the push of a button, a product in equal parts startling and headline-grabbing.

Learning and looking ahead

Beyond the spectacle of the show floor, AAE’s seminar programme provided serious thought leadership. Covering everything from market-entry strategies to cutting-edge innovation, the sessions were packed with visitors keen to learn, debate and network. Highlights included:

“Sexology as a sales driver” – underlining how deeper knowledge of sexual health and intimacy can directly boost sales and customer confidence.

“From mechanical vibration to emotional interaction” – an exploration of how AI is reshaping

devices from functional tools into emotionally responsive companions.

“Empowering sexual wellness” – reflecting on the growing overlap between the adult industry and clinical practice, with a focus on guiding patients towards more fulfilling intimate lives.

Meanwhile, regional perspectives were highlighted in talks such as “Starting a Sex Shop in Thailand” –plus, insights into the Russian market highlighted the importance of cultural context when growing internationally.

Together, these sessions emphasised a major theme of AAE 2025: the industry is evolving rapidly, with sexual wellness, technology and healthcare becoming just as important as novelty and entertainment.

A global gathering

Perhaps the greatest strength of AAE is the expo’s ability to bring East and West together. Visitors came from across the globe – retailers, distributors, start-up founders, manufacturers, and service providers –making the event a truly international meeting point. I found myself meeting fascinating people not just on the stands but in the aisles, where impromptu conversations often turned into valuable connections. It was a win-win: exhibitors benefited from reaching new buyers, while visitors left with both inspiration and practical opportunities. A genuine global, collaborative energy was felt throughout the three days, and it’s part of what sets AAE apart from smaller regional shows.

A show that sets the standard

AAE 2025 balanced spectacle and substance. From polished mega-stands to inventive niche displays, from daring product stunts to serious dialogue about the industry’s future, the exhibition provided both

inspiration and opportunity for attendees. As the pleasure industry continues to expand globally, AAE’s ability to unite diverse voices in a professional yet vibrant setting remains its defining strength. If this year’s edition is any indication, the future of the industry looks not only innovative but increasingly intertwined with mainstream conversations about health, wellness and technology.

AAE 2026 will take place between 25-27 August at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Seminar room beyond the Show floor

S-HANDE stand

“Multi-hole silicone cake” from Motsugroup

‘Beasty Cocks’ dildos

Financial management: what you need to know

If you’re a small, independent business, financial management is vital if you want to enjoy a successful future. Adam Bernstein goes back to basics, outlining everything you need to know about cashflow, expenses, budgeting and profit margins.

Businesses thrive, primarily, on one thing: money. Without it, no matter how good, unique, or interesting their products or services, they will soon fail.

The world of pleasure products is varied but can be typified by a combination of small, independent shops (and online) which know their way around their market but that may struggle when it comes to the raw matter of managing money and planning for the future – especially given the nature of the industry: the demands of acquiring stock, marketing, ensuring licensing is up to date etc may mean that money management slips down the list of priorities. Sometimes the best thing to do is to go back to basics and refresh that knowledge.

Here, then, is an overview of the basics of managing cashflow, tracking expenses, budgeting and profit margins.

Failing to understand any – or all – of these aspects may at the minimum stunt growth, or worse, jeopardise a business.

Managing cashflow

Cash is the lifeblood of a business and cashflow refers to the total amount of money being transferred into and out of a business. In basic terms, it’s the liquid

cash – how much actual money is available – to pay bills, employees and suppliers. There are three types of cashflow:

Operating

Day-to-day inflows and outflows from business operations (sales, salaries, rent, utilities).

Investing

Cash used in or generated by investments (buying or selling assets, equipment etc).

Financing

Cash related to loans, investor funding, or paying dividends.

Understanding the variants is critical, because a business can be profitable on paper but still fail if it runs out of cash. In fact, poor cashflow management is one of the top reasons small businesses go under. This said, cash can be managed without too much trouble. However, it requires a few steps, beginning with a cashflow statement – weekly or monthly –which will help with understanding the actual cash position; the statement also needs information on the opening bank balance, cash inflows, cash outflows, and ending balance.

If applicable, the next step is to monitor monies due in closely by sending invoices promptly, following up on late payments regularly, and possibly offering discounts for early payment or charging fees for late payments.

Allied to this, it makes sense to delay (carefully) or handle bills that are payable, negotiating payment terms with suppliers if possible to net 30 or 60 days. If this cannot be done, bills shouldn’t be paid earlier than necessary unless there’s a discount.

The third step is to forecast cashflow over the upcoming three to six months using sales forecasts and expected expenses. This will both help anticipate shortfalls and plan for slow seasons or big purchases.

Lastly, it’s essential to (try to) maintain a cash reserve. The only way to do this is to set aside a portion of cash during good months to cover lean times or emergencies.

Tracking business expenses

Keeping an accurate and up-to-date record of business expenses is essential for both short-term financial decisions and long-term planning. It also ensures that your business stays compliant with tax law while maximising expenses.

Expense tracking is crucial for four reasons. It helps to control costs and identify wasteful spending. It makes tax reporting easier through organised records.

It improves budgeting accuracy and cashflow forecasting. Finally, it provides transparency for owners, lenders and investors.

As to what to track, this can be grouped into three types of expense:

Fixed Rent, insurance, salaries, subscriptions.

Variable Utilities, marketing costs, travel, stock.

Occasional

Equipment purchases, legal fees, new staff.

When tracking expenses, the best advice is to use accounting software to automate expense categorisation and tracking, and to sync bank accounts and credit cards for a real-time position. Spreadsheets have their uses, but not for this. For the small business in particular, it’s essential to separate business and personal finances. This can be done by using a dedicated business bank account and credit card – this helps to keep records clean and simplifies accounting.

Allied to this, it makes sense to digitise receipts and records. Digital records reduce clutter and make auditing easier. Apps such as Expensify, Dext, or general accounting software can store images of receipts. It follows that expenses should be reviewed monthly, looking for trends, waste, or opportunities to cut costs. At the same time, actual expenses should be compared to budgeted amounts.

Budgeting

A budget is a financial roadmap that outlines how the business plans to spend money over a specific period – typically monthly, quarterly, or annually. It helps to guide decisions, control spending, and stay on track to meet financial goals.

And it matters for several reasons – it ensures the business doesn’t spend more than it earns, helps to set performance targets and financial goals, supports planning (say, hiring, marketing, and growth of the business), and it also helps with investor and owner confidence.

There are four types of budget:

Operating

This looks at income and expenses related to day-to-day operations and is most commonly used for monthly planning.

Cashflow

This focuses on timing of income and expenses to ensure the business has cash when it’s needed.

Capital

This plans for major asset purchases such as machinery, vehicles, or renovations.

Sales and revenue

This helps with understanding expected revenue based on past data, market trends, or sales targets. Creating a business budget isn’t hard, but it does require thought. It begins with analysing past financial data – historical income and expenses – in order to forecast future numbers. This should be adjusted for growth, seasonal trends, or economic changes. Income needs to be estimated. This needs to be

realistic and based on past sales, market trends, and client contracts.

Similarly, all expenses need to be listed and broken down in into fixed, variable, and one-time categories. Savings and investments need to be counted with funds set aside for future growth, taxes, or equipment upgrades.

The data needs to be compared and adjusted with expenses subtracted from income to determine the net budget position; if the business is in the red, it’s time to cut costs or find ways to boost revenue. Finally, the budget needs to be reviewed monthly and treated as a living document and adjusted when necessary as the business evolves.

Profit margins

So, we’ve looked at cashflow, budgeting and expenses – we now need to consider profitability. This can be done through monitoring key performance indicators such as gross profit margin, current ratio, burn rate, or customer acquisition cost. Doing this will help us to understand financial health beyond basic numbers. Profit margin measures how much of every pound/ euro of revenue a company keeps as profit. It’s typically expressed as a percentage and comes in three main forms:

Gross

This is (revenue-cost of goods sold) ÷ revenue. It shows how efficiently a company sells.

Operating

This is operating income ÷ revenue. This includes administrative and selling expenses, giving a sense of day-to-day operational efficiency.

Net profit margin

This is net income ÷ revenue. It reflects the company’s bottom line after all expenses, taxes, and interest. Higher margins indicate stronger profitability and often more pricing power or operational efficiency. Lower margins can signal high costs or competitive pressure. For small business owners and investors alike, tracking margin trends over time helps to identify strengths or weaknesses in the business model. Margins vary widely across industries, so comparisons are most useful within similar sectors. For example, software companies usually have higher margins than retailers. Understanding and analysing profit margins helps in pricing strategy, cost control,

and strategic planning – making it a critical tool for smart business decisions.

With this information a break-even analysis should be built as this will identify the point where revenue covers your costs.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Of course, this planning is easier said than done and so it’s easy to make mistakes.

The first is to underestimate expenses: taxes, insurance, or small recurring fees can all be forgotten, but they add up quickly.

Similarly, it’s easy to overestimate revenue, so it’s important to stay conservative with projections.

Some business-owners create a budget but fail to update it regularly; static budgets become irrelevant quickly in a changing business environment. By the same token, some ignore seasonal or cyclical trends. In so doing they don’t anticipate and prepare for slow months.

And others make the cardinal mistake of mixing personal and business finances. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but creates accounting chaos and may lead to legal/tax issues. It also costs more for an accountant to resolve.

Which leads neatly to the last pitfall: failing to hire or consult an accountant. As trained professionals they come with cost, but the right person will save time and prevent expensive mistakes. They’ll also ensure tax compliance and financial accuracy; in the UK, for example, HM Revenue & Customs has a box on tax returns asking if professional help has been sought –it’s a red marker if it hasn’t.

Conclusion

Mastering cashflow, expense tracking and budgeting isn’t just good financial planning – it’s the foundation of business success. By understanding how money moves through a company, where it’s going, and how to plan for the future, owners can make informed decisions, prepare for growth, and navigate financial challenges with confidence.

The good news? None of this requires you to be a financial expert. With the right tools, systems, and habits in place, any business-owner can take control of their finances and build a sustainable, profitable operation. Start simple. Build from there. And remember: consistency beats complexity when it comes to managing money.

Sexy Devil Reeperbahn 88

MYSTERY SHOPPER

HAMBURG

HavingMysteryShoppedBerlinsomeyearsago,butstillfancying Germanyasaretailreviewdestination,forthisissue,Hamburg–Germany’ssecond-largestcity–isthetargetunderthemicroscope. HowwoulditsadultstoresholdupunderourMysteryShopper’s analytical,critical,gimletgaze?

Sexy Angel Reeperbahn 115

Towards the east of the naughty bit of the Reeperbahn, this was the first shop I visited, fresh off the S-Bahn. It plays up the touristic elements more than the average “sex shop” in the area, but isn’t especially diluted by the T-shirts and other mainstream items on sale. What lodged in my memory? Wood flooring, red walls, red carpet (needing a bit of a scrub) at the back on the right – the shop is sort of split by a long display at the rear – and interesting stock. Did I buy the €99.90 horse speculum? I shall never say. Was I tempted by the eight-way anal ring puller for the same money? I’ll take the truth to my grave. Sooner rather than later had I actually bought either, I’d say. MyStim, €99.90 leather corsets, a grey PVC one for €10 more, long leather gloves for €150ish, Zenn, Rimba, LoveLine, and Sweet Smile toys were also noted. On the left side, DVDs (mostly in the €15-€20 bracket) were somewhat hampered by poor lighting. A large ceiling-mounted AC unit wasn’t helping, and nor was displaying them overlapping. On the upside, there was a lot of them, across all popular themes. I liked the Kissable/ Dreamgirls/Beauty Night/KOTEK etc range of lingerie, dresses and body stockings for its comprehensiveness, and then spotted more: Cottelli Collection, plus Leg Avenue hosiery. Nice. An €80 Black Level red PVC nurse’s uniform, Crazy Bull masturbators, gender-swap items, cock straws and loads of novelties... Lots packed into a good sized, busy store!

The yin to Sexy Devil’s yang must be this store, on the same road but further to the west and on the other side. A warm welcome from the helpful, engaging manageress offset the dull grey flooring and grey pinwall display units, setting the scene for a solid, middling experience. T-shirts promoting the business (it’s a good name and logo) sat below Cottelli Collection playwear (€60 for a nice mesh dress), Leg Avenue and, further round, Shunga, Sweet Smile and Satisfyer ranges, lots of novelties including sexy dice, and Get Real Dildos from €19.95. The music was a bit on the aggressive side, but not too loud and I actually got into it over time, so that’s a win. Fetish Fantasy Series lines led me to a tub of clearance knickers and on to €15 DVDs, displayed in overlapping clusters. Grrr. €10 clearance titles were cheap at least and there was a good selection of genres available.

“Friendly atmos, bit bland, fair range, fair prices, friendly manageress,” my notes remind me. Too many repeated words, but that’s notes for you. I liked the location, appreciate a corner plot, think I remember boob slippers, but absolutely recall a feet-shaped double masturbator in the window. Is that for variety, or to share with another foot fetishist friend..? The mind boggles. The windows were actually a bit scrappy, with items displayed (a plus) but rather haphazardly (a minus), which neatly exemplifies what I was saying about the good and bad balancing here, resulting in the middle-scale star rating.

With so many stores to choose from – there are probably a further five within a 10-minute walk, plus several more to the east, around Hamburg’s central train station – I have to admit I nearly dropped this in favour of something else, but kept it for three reasons: It is representative of a few I nipped into, these reviews need variety, and I liked its bold frontage. So, expectations managed, let’s go inside...

The store is one road behind the Reeperbahn, so is a little quieter, but occupies a good corner plot. The lack of music highlighted the inauthentic sounds of passion from the cinema area (recorded rather than live, I’d say, but that is just a best guess) while I browsed €12.50 DVDs, a stepladder stored in the corner, 1970s-style wooden shelving units, €18 hardcore magazines, and a genuine wood floor. I noted a €14.50 Harmony film I think I might’ve seen 15+ years ago, and while there was a manager, he didn’t interact at all. No welcoming glance, no offer of help. So I was left in peace to look across Bang brand dildos (new to me), a few plugs and other “odds ‘n’ sods” (as my mum would say), red walls... That’s about it. The manager had a radio on, but it sounded like sports chat. I was in and out in three minutes, reflecting the size of the shop more than the quality, but I wasn’t sad to leave, let’s put it that way. Easily forgettable, which is actually a positive in the circumstances.

Growing up somewhere pretty rural, even I’d heard of “the Reeperbahn”’. It was up there with Amsterdam and Sweden in its entirety as one of Europe’s more sordid corners. Certainly, that was the reputation, probably handed down from stories The Beatles told of their early days in the city (1960-62, including the death of a drummer) and the fact the docks were some of the busiest in the world. Boys will be Boys and Sailors will be Sailors... I found the city (population 1.9 million) lively, historic and easy to navigate. The Elbe river is just the same, linking massive historic docklands and vast lines of warehousing to more modern container facilities (Europe’s third-largest), and on to the North Sea. Which flooded Hamburg in 1962. In 1842, swathes of the city burned in

Erotixx

Hamburger Berg 36

The Great Fire of Hamburg. Happier history includes tall, elegant church spires, a major role in the Hanseatic League, a below-river tunnel, and as an early hub for naturism.

Erotica Boutique Bizarre Reeperbahn

35

A busy side street close to a KFC was home to this store which, thanks to branding on the building beside it, looks bigger than the retail area I found. I presume the on-site cinema/Kino takes up more space. Four big anti-slip-metal-covered steps down brought me to a fairly neutral space with grey floor tiles and black slatwall, edged in aluminium. The bearded manager gave me a welcome while I was scanning €33 yellowpackaged Rude Rider dildos, €35 Zenn masturbators, €23 Wave Rider Foam from CalExotics, and the €80 Satisfyer Supernova. A fridge full of beer was a small distraction from the Master Series butt plugs, €9.95 Private magazines, and Hot Fantasy boxed “magic lingerie”. I felt the lack of music, but a mannequin in a rainbow dress helped to keep the atmosphere lively, and I browsed below good spotlights happily enough. Cock rings, some unusual €35 cross-over metal wrist cuffs, and a central island of goodies all pleased, and when I was offered help in English, the store secured a third star.

Limited retail space means limited options – there’s just not the room for wide selections – but how the space had been used was fine. Absolutely OK. That’s not me damning with lukewarm praise, that’s me not being blown over but also recognising little more could be done with the available room. I saw more people (exclusively men) heading to the Kino than I met browsing, so the retail/cinema space split may well be perfect. In conclusion, a three-and-a-half-star store (if we gave half-marks).

It’s good to end on an impressive store. I’d give this six out of five if I could, so you know I was far from unimpressed. From the cool, sexy, playful windows, great location on the main road, sheer size and modern frontage, to its gallery-like lighting, polished concrete floors, interesting and varied stock and artistic displays, it ticked more boxes than this girl knew she had. Possibly the largest adult store I’ve ever visited (across the entry floor and basement below), it’s absolutely in my top three for visitor experience. Magnificent! Downstairs is a gallery area, with loads of fetishwear and kinky items (€149 fetish ultra-platform heels, PVC thigh boots, €150 pig masks with ball gags, spiked ball parachutes, €45 mesh tops, latex, a €560 Master Series bondage couch, speculums, torture devices, anal hooks, trans lines, Lancelot cock-cages, bondage mittens, tentacles) in a side area with till. Floaty music wafted me past full-on DVDs (unhygienic acts included) in the €20-€29 zone. A few cheaper films were in a budget display.

At ground level I found more DVDs, a 15” King Cock dildo, Scala delivery boxes (the only black mark, but my timing was the bigger issue), a good Tonga display, another till area, and €99 fluffy tail plugs. Cottelli Collection and Leg Avenue were competitively priced, and I liked the pink lighting used around the store. Lots of mirrors, a “unicorn dildo mask” downstairs (I really could’ve explored all day!), and gay clothing ranges mean nothing was overlooked. An extraordinarily enjoyable store!

Exceptional and inspiring.

An impressive shopping experience.

Ticks almost all of the right boxes.

Lacking some vital elements.

Memorable for the wrong reasons.

SHOPTALK: HELENSHEPHERD

HelenShepherd,ownerofSinSinsinNorwich,sharesherstoriesfrom behindthecounter–she’screatedacommunityaroundhershopanda loyalgroupofcustomers,butwhenacertaintypeofcharacterentersthe store,shecancomfortablypredictwhat’sgoingtohappennext…

Over the years I’ve been here, I’ve learned to spot certain predictable characters the moment they walk through the door. Some customers I just know are going to be a delight: Lucy and Yak dungarees and noise-cancelling earphones are particular green flags. Smiley guys who really want to get their girlfriends a surprise. But not everyone who visits the shop is a joy…

“The know-it-all”

I’ll get the only female on my list out of the way first. She never comes in alone and she delights in telling her companions loudly about which toys she has and how good they are. She’s often heard asking earnestly: “Do you know what this is for?” as if it’s a test. I know what she’s doing, but this is not the way to audition for the role of sex toy testing influencer or shop assistant – when she finally approaches me with “I’d love to work in here”, I’m ready. Nope.

“The hopeful”

This individual will enter the shop and browse for a while before approaching to ask if we sell maid outfits in larger sizes. I just don’t have the room for a good stock of women’s clothing so I’ll say I can order something in if they have a style in mind. Very quickly, they will offer to do my cleaning dressed as a maid –or nude – for free. When I say “no”, they will try to change my mind; every time they enter the shop, their expression will get increasingly forlorn to the point where I’ve asked one how he’s been and he’s said: “Sad, because I can't have what I want.” Luckily, one of my assistants is a professional dominatrix, and I’ve

seen fewer “hopefuls” lately so I’m guessing they only visit when she’s there!

“Daddy_666 from FetLife”

You’ve seen him. Early thirties, brocade waistcoat, curled moustache, swagger. Almost before he’s through the door he’s telling me about his two girlfriends and what he’s going to buy them. He’ll spend a while in the basement flagellating himself with the deerskin and suede floggers like a connoisseur before leaving with the cheapest cane and set of metal handcuffs. Sadly, his face will eventually appear on one of the local online fetish groups because he’s been blacklisted for a lack of boundaries – or worse. Did I mention he has two girlfriends? He definitely has two girlfriends.

“Straight men after football”

My heart sinks. It’s 5pm on a Saturday. I can smell the aftershave before the door opens. Crisp white shirt tucked into jeans. Following an afternoon at the football, these men are treating the local bars to their charm and charisma. But not before a visit to SinSins. I’ve perfected my blank expression for the inevitable “I suppose you get to play with all the toys!” They always say they’re going to bring their wives in, but it never happens.

“Small dick energy”

Now, there are guys who are eager to share that the fact that normal-sized condoms and masturbators don’t fit their super-sized pride and joy, and I’m only too happy to advise them on what’s going to work for

them, but this customer has found a way to get aroused by his own perceived inadequacy. Sometimes this one is a phone call. I have a regular caller who always pretends he's never phoned before. He just wants to talk about his micropenis. Small dick energy customers probably want a cage, and they’re keen to labour the point that they’re too small for any they’ve seen. What they really want is for me to say “Really? That small?” and to be able to show me a photo so the humiliation ritual is completed. Sadly, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for a micropenis and find that people blessed with one always go the extra mile in other areas, so I’m not really here for that. And I’ve got a lot of very small cages, so I’m happy to help the little guy get locked up. The ones on the phone are just wanting free sex chat. I get a lot of that.

“The woefully ignorant”

This guy is hoping to reinvigorate his marriage with a 10-inch girthy black dildo, despite knowing nothing about how sensitive his wife is, the toys she already has, or if she’s ever expressed an interest in a 10-inch girthy black dildo.

“The woefully misinformed”

This guy hasn’t been in the country long and he thinks British women are going to require hours of servicing with a massive penis because he’s got a porn subscription. Often I’ll tell him it’s lovely that he’s thinking about his partner’s satisfaction (and that this is going to give him a head start on many of the natives) but to forget the pills, creams, sprays and pumps, and just go out and be nice to people. Not great for business, but hopefully good for community relations! Finally, this one was a one-off… but definitely worthy of a mention.

“Anal cone refund guy”

Yes, really. Tall, attractive, well-dressed. In his thirties. Bought a giant anal cone for his “girlfriend” because “she’s always wanted one”. Hmmm. Anyway… he brought it back because it would only go halfway in. I had to apologise to the customer who came in as I was loudly explaining why he wasn’t eligible for a refund.

I love my customers and the inclusive community that’s built up around the shop, and I always try to make time for everyone who walks through the door – but sometimes experience teaches us what’s about to unfold!

READERS LIVES:

Björn Radcke, head of sales and marketing (B2B) at Orion Wholesale

After a quarter of a century at Orion Wholesale, Björn Radcke still enjoys getting out of the office and visiting his customers… even if that means temporarily conquering his fear of heights!

What sort of child were you?

I was impulsive and headstrong. And I was ambitious, especially when it came to my sporting hobbies: football and table tennis. I was successful, especially in table tennis. And I’ve been a fan of the German football club FC Bayern München since I was six years old.

What was your childhood ambition?

To become a sports presenter. I was fascinated by the idea of getting paid to watch football and travelling a lot ;-)

What ambitions do you still have?

I’m still very ambitious and always have my sights set on the next success – both on a sporting and professional level.

What do you enjoy most about being head of sales and marketing for Orion Wholesale?

It doesn’t really matter whether it has a title or not – I work with a great team that believes in our products and cares deeply about the wishes and requirements of our customers. Personal customer contact is also very close to my heart and, even after 25 years at Orion, I still find it exciting when I get to travel and meet lots of people. What makes my job even more special is that long-standing contacts have now become friends.

"It is important for us to increase our visibility by sponsoring events outside our industry"

How have your role and Orion changed during your 25+ years on board?

My role hasn’t changed that much – I have more responsibility in the company today but otherwise it’s very similar to when I started. I particularly like the friendly atmosphere. Orion itself has, of course, changed and adapted to the markets over the years but we are generally very stable in this area, too.

What do you think have been the most significant changes in the industry since you joined Orion Wholesale?

One of the biggest changes has certainly been the development of the internet, which has made many things easier for us on the one hand, but has also caused many problems on the other hand –

especially in terms of pricing.

As far as innovations are concerned, I naturally think of the Womanizer because it was responsible for a revolution in female orgasms. The inventor of the Womanizer approached Orion because he was looking for an experienced and reliable sales partner –and we were immediately enthusiastic and convinced. That’s how Orion Wholesale became the exclusive Womanizer sales partner in the early years. Another milestone that had a lasting impact was the hype surrounding FiftyShadesofGrey . One current change is the use of AI, both in relation to new products and in terms of our marketing.

What can we expect from Orion Wholesale during the second half of 2025?

We are [working] even more closely with our customers and [trying to] visit them more often in order to achieve even more optimised results together. We are also ready for a successful eroFame in Amsterdam.

Orion Wholesale is a familiar name at festivals and events – how important is it to you to increase the visibility of the company and reach a wider audience?

It is important for us to increase our visibility by sponsoring events outside our industry – for example, festivals, sports or cultural projects. These events target new audiences, who we hope will take an interest in us and our products. The targeted distribution of goodies enables us to be present exactly where our potential audiences are: in the midst of life! The combination of useful contents and a fun, positive environment (such as a festival) creates a connection that traditional advertising often fails to achieve. In addition, many of our sponsorships are truly close to our hearts, eg supporting Pride parades or sponsoring condoms.

Age verification is a hot topic right now. Does Google Safe Search (or similar restrictions) affect searches for Orion Wholesale's website? What do you think the impact of age verification on adult pleasure product retailers will be?

We repeatedly encounter Google issues with images and SEO/SEA measures that do have a negative impact. Of course, this increases immediately on the B2C side. However, I currently do not see any trend that would bring more customers back to the brick-and-mortar shops as a result.

Do you think the future of toys is app-connected? Is it important to you that Orion Wholesale

continues to stock brands that are all about users having fun away from screens and apps?

App-controlled toys account for only a small percentage of our product range, and so far we only carry third-party brands in this segment. There is certainly a target group for this, but most customers prefer classic sex toys, albeit with a lifestyle character. Most toys from our own labels, such as Sweet Smile or Couples Choice, are designed for having fun with your partner without digital aids. Of course, it won’t be possible to completely avoid screens – especially when shopping or watching video content.

"Most toys from our own labels are designed for having fun with your partner without digital aids"

Outside work, what do you most enjoy doing? (We think this answer might feature football!)

A few years ago, my answer would have had something to do with football ;-) But today it’s definitely spending time with my children.

Tell us something about you that would surprise us.

I have a pretty severe fear of heights – which isn’t great as a frequent flyer...

Which three words would your friends use to describe you?

Silly, quick-tempered, focused.

Do you have any guilty pleasures? I would do anything for cheesecake!

What makes you laugh?

Dark humour, stand-up comedy and some old and cool movies. What makes me laugh the most, however, is when my children are having fun or being silly in general.

Do you have a hidden talent?

If I do, it is so well-hidden that even I don’t know about it ;-)

Finally, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Stay humble!