INTERVIEW affordability and wanted to make all the products under $ 100 . Our social media presence is very different – we really lean into memes . I think humor is the best lubricant because it allows people to be a little bit more vulnerable .
IR : How has the sexual wellness industry shifted since Unbound Babes launched almost a decade ago ? PR : You started to see better-designed products that use body-safe materials . In the United States , vibrators are not regulated by the FDA , despite the fact you ' re using them on one of the most absorbent parts of your body . The other thing that happened was the Viagra patent expired , and all these erectile dysfunction companies , namely Hims and Roman , were raising hundreds of millions of dollars , so all of a sudden , there was a lot more focus on sex tech as a sector , which had been underdeveloped for a long time .
Last , but not least , would be the popculture component , starting with Sex and the City in the ’ 90s and the ‘ rabbit ’ vibrator . It is still one of the best-selling vibrators because of the show . You also had Fifty Shades of Grey , which was a huge watershed moment , when BDSM became something that was going mainstream . Then you had Broad City . There have been a lot of pop culture moments that have influenced the narrative around sex , for better or worse . It wasn ' t one specific thing ; it was a lot of little things that happened .
IR : What are your top areas of focus for the next 12 months ? PR : For now , we ' re focused on continuing to innovate in product design , expanding our product selection , and hopefully expanding our presence with some of our retail partners – such as Revolve , Beauty Bay , Amazon , etc – which have been amazing .
I think humor is the best lubricant .
Urban Outfitters truly put a stake in the ground and said , ‘ We are going to sell in this category .’ We ' re really grateful to them because they ' ve helped destigmatize the category quite a bit .
IR : Where do you think the white space is in the sexual wellness industry right now ? PR : Hopefully , we ' ll see more innovation that caters to more specific identities across gender , sex – myriad things . Right now , sex toys for men are more stigmatized than they are for women . For a long time , men felt like sex toys were going to replace them or something . My co-founder always uses the analogy of an ice-cream sundae – why wouldn ' t you want the sprinkles ? The ice cream is still going to be great , the sprinkles just make it a little bit better .
Unbound Babes is looking to expand its retail presence over the next 12 months .
September 2023 www . insideretail . us 37