Page 23 - AVN Intimate Summer 2017

There are still so many in the U.S.
who might just live too far away
from a good adult store. I want
to be a resource for all of them; a
place where they can get surprises
every month.
—Kassie, The Naughty Box
sex lives. They allow more private consumers to try a variety of
pleasure products in the comfort of their own home and expose
themselves to sex toys as well as new brands and sex acts.”
The idea of discretion is partly what led Kassie into the
business.
“Our boxes are shipped very discreetly, and we don’t have any
outrageous or really over-the-top products,” she said. “I want
people to always be excited about getting The Naughty Box, not
worried that there’s something embarrassing inside. There are
already too many people who might be too embarrassed to walk
into an adult store. Others just might not have the time to make
a shopping trip for sex toys a regular part of their routine. And
there are still so many in the U.S. who might just live too far away
from a good adult store. I want to be a resource for all of them; a
place where they can get surprises every month, and a website
where they can buy even more of what they like.
“I want to really expand the store too, so after they get used
to trying new items every month, they can explore even more by
shopping for larger items,” she added.
Kassie said her distributors have gone above and beyond to
help her find deals on items to stock, but she is interested in
developing partnerships with a few key manufacturers as well. To
date, she said, Uberlube and Masque have worked with her, and
she’s looking forward to more manufacturers coming on board as
subscription services gain in popularity.
Gideon Perez of The Screaming O noted there are advantages
to manufacturers working directly with subscription services. In
Screaming O’s case, he said, a service called MarriageSupply.com
reached out because Screaming O products—which are couples
friendly and suitable for those just starting to explore the world of
pleasure products—are a good fit for its customer base.
“One of the reasons we chose to partner with
MarriageSupply.com was because of their Free Sex Podcast,”
Perez told AVN. “In addition to their monthly subscription box,
they also put out a weekly podcast with a very active listener
base. Having this as an additional channel to discuss the various
products going into their monthly boxes really helps drive that
engagement with the brands represented.
“Brand awareness and loyalty are definitely two of the
main goals,” Perez said of working with subscription services.
“Repetition is always key and giving a customer an opportunity
to experience our products multiple times through this type of
subscription service I think goes a long way toward building that
loyalty as well as trust.”
When it comes to product inclusion, Travers said consumers
of the many subscription services Eldorado Trading deals with
ultimately decide what products are included in their boxes;
when customers sign up, they fill out questionnaires about
their preferences and the services choose items based on the
subscription level chosen.
Perez said The Screaming O tries to work with MarriageSupply.com to ensure
a good fit between consumers and products.
“MarriageSupply.com will usually have products in mind but we’ll give our
input based on sales data for top-selling items and work with their theme for
that particular box,” he said. “The goal of course is to choose products that we
feel best represent our brand while still being a good fit for their customers.”
Katie said she is still feeling her way through the entire process with The
Naughty Box, but plans to communicate with her customers through surveys
to grow the business as well as make sure she strikes the right balance between
subscribers’ desires and the products they receive.
In all cases, Kassie, Perez and Travers all seem to think the subscription
service is not just a passing fad, but a sustainable business model that will only
continue to grow.
“Most definitely more of these services will appear,” Travers said. “The
concept is huge with younger generations and is a great way to adapt to
the shift of online sales. Hopefully it will also open people up to going into
stores when they find a product they like from their subscription. It also helps
consumers learn new lingo and educates them about pleasure products and how
they can spice up their sex life.”
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