Page 22 - AVN Intimate Summer 2017

FEATURE
Please Me, Mr. Postman
Hit consumers right where they live with subscription boxes
By Sherri L. Shaulis
with subscription boxes that cater to
T hough most people might be more familiar
personal interests such as makeup or geek
culture, the interest in curated collections of
pleasure products is surely and steadily growing.
A few years ago, it was not easy to find
companies that—for a monthly fee—shipped
samples of lubricants, vibrators, lingerie and more
to consumers. Today, dozens are doing just that,
and more are getting on board that train every day.
A quick search for sex toy subscription services
yields dozens of articles in all types of publications,
from Slate.com to Glamour to New York magazine,
and even more services themselves—Big Oh! Box,
Nooky Box and Spicy Subscriptions among them.
Texas resident Kassie said she had her first
thoughts about a curated subscription service for
pleasure products in April 2016, and launched The
Naughty Box on August 20 that year.
“I was already a huge fan of subscriptions like
Ipsy and Birch Box,” she told AVN. “At the time,
I worked in an oil field and spent a lot of my days
driving. I had a lot of time to think, and I was also
coming up with ideas for new businesses to try.
When I got the idea for The Naughty Box, I talked
about it with my husband and my neighbors. I
liked the idea of being in the industry, because it
seemed like such a good industry and where there
could be some opportunity. But at the same time I
wanted to be discreet. After talking it over, I finally
decided to just go for it.”
22 | INTIMATE | SUMMER 2017
Adult subscription services give an option to
people who want to try something different in their
sex lives. They allow more private consumers to try
a variety of pleasure products in the comfort of their
own home.
—Allison Travers, Eldorado Trading Co.
In September 2016, she said, there were only 13 customers; as of March 2017, she was at
more than 450 subscribers and the list continues to grow.
For $12 a month, The Naughty Box subscribers get five or six products, particularly
lubricants and bath and body items. If customers enjoy the samples, they are able to
purchased full-sized versions directly from TheNaughtyBox.com.
“It is hard, because to keep the price down, I focus more on the smaller items,” Kassie said.
“I would love to start including one or two toys, but right now, in the beginning, that can be a
little costly for me.”
Especially in the very beginning, Kassie relied on items she could buy in bulk from local
retailers to include in the box. As she grew her online retail store, however, she started getting
cooperation from her main distributor, Holiday Products. She’s made a point of attending
trade shows to meet with individual retailers, too, to develop relationships with them.
“Holiday Products has really been wonderful about working with me, and I have gotten
help with John at Uberlube, Masque, Lucky You/Lucky Me and a few others,” she said.
More and more, distributors understand that subscription boxes could easily be a new
market. Allison Travers, director of marketing communications for Colorado-based Eldorado
Trading Co., said several companies in recent months have contacted the distributor about
working with them on subscription services.
“But we also proactively seek them out since we see this as a growing market,” she said.
“Subscription box services are huge. They have great popularity in mainstream as they
allow consumers to try a variety of products on a monthly basis,” Travers added. “Adult
subscription services give an option to people who want to try something different in their