Adult shops can be intimidating at the best of times. It doesn’t help how they are portrayed on the TV and through social media. Dark and dank dungeons with scary implements covering every surface, while dirty old men leer from the corner.
Not to mention the fear of being seen walking in by someone who knows you!
However, your adult shop is not too different from your local corner store. Now, granted, you may not be nipping in for a quick pint of milk, but it is a business run by professionals that is stocked with whatever it is you are looking for.
We recently came across a blog that had questions that run through people’s minds before they walk into an adult store and we feel it is our duty to quash the negative vibes and show you why walking into a sex shop isn’t as scary as it seems.
Often adult shops are portrayed as eerily quiet with harsh red lighting. This would be off putting to anybody. However, like most shops we play quiet and non-intrusive music, though the shop can seem quieter than normal as toy shopping can be an intimate experience where people may not feel the need to be loud or talkative.
Red lighting or any lighting that is isn’t proper lighting is just counter-productive. We want you to be able to see the products and read the information, so you know what you are buying.
Some of the biggest fears people have is the fact that they may need to open up about personal aspects of their lives to a member of staff who is a complete stranger, feeling ignored or worse feeling judged. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our staff are trained to chat with customers, listen and make them feel as comfortable as possible. Chances are you are never going to ask us something we have never heard before….. twice. We can give you information on different items, how they are used and even why, what material is used, the best way to take care of your purchase etc…
People can also be intimated by the fact that they must go through a buzz door. This can be off putting but it is purely to help us enforce the strict over 18s rule we adhere too.
If you are a first timer to an adult shop it can be a surreal experience. Surrounded by walls of dildos, vibrators, fleshlights and butt plugs, it can be hard to know where to begin but as we said before this is like any other shop. Like you wouldn’t open a packet of biscuits to peer inside at the supermarket we would expect the same in our shop. Most boxes have a clear image on how the product looks and we usually display items that are out for demonstration, that shall give you a good idea of how the product actually works.
This is where being able to have a frank chat with a member of staff can come in handy. You can ask about various toys, whether it is possible to try on any clothing items that might be for sale or even what the returns policies entail.
Unfortunately, we cannot prevent you from perhaps running into someone you know. Therefore, adult shops tend to be tucked out of the way, so people do have a degree of privacy. Though if you happen to run into someone while in the shop, just remember that they are there for the same reason as you and are not going to judge anybody.
We here at PlayBlue are big fans of the in-store sex shop experience as you get to talk to an expert and can get a good look at the all the options before you buy, we also have the same online prices in our stores. Obviously with a company name like PlayBlue.ie the web is where we live but we firmly believe there is room for both and sometimes for returns, pickup, advice having online and High St works best.
For people who are happy to come through our buzz doors, we look forward to seeing you soon!