Sales of bedroom toys in the UK doubles during COVID-19 lockdown
Sales of naughty bedroom toys has increased by 134% this April, compared to April 2019.
Couples across the UK are spending this extra time together to reconnect between the sheets, but what are they buying?
Let’s explore the 50 shades of lockdown…
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UK cities with the highest increase in demand for bedroom toys. (GO TO STORY)
Most popular bedroom toys in lockdown. (GO TO STORY)
Demand for premium lingerie brands has jumped by 52%. (GO TO STORY)
Why is the UK buying more bedroom toys in lockdown? (GO TO COMMENT)
Liverpool (pictured) has shot up well above the national average, with residents searching for bedroom toys 62% more than they did in April 2019.
This is a year-on-year comparison of UK online searches in April 2020 v April 2019.
Liverpool, has had the biggest increase in demand for bedroom toys across the UK. Residents in Liverpool have been searching for x-rated products 62% more this month, than they did in April 2019.
Brighton had the second-biggest jump in demand, with 56% more beach-side residents searching for naughty toys than a year ago.
Heavily populated inner-cities, London and Birmingham are also in the top five. With space at a premium and only an hour a day for outside exercise in densely populated cities, residents are looking for new ways to lift their spirits.
50 shades of grey toys are the most popular in lockdown
There has been a huge increase in demand for bedroom toys that spice up foreplay and are used in the blockbuster movie, 50 shades of grey.
Top bedroom toy categories (sales increase April 2019 v April 2020)
1. Whips +142%
2. Handcuffs +112%
3. Blindfolds +89%
4. Gags +74%
5. Premium Lingerie +52%
Top bedroom toy retailers (sales increase April 2019 v April 2020)
1. Ann Summers +43%
2. Amazon +31%
3. Allbeauty +29%
Top selling toys in April (sales increase April 2019 v April 2020)
1. Fifty Shades of Grey Pleasure Flogger (Whip) +2400%
2. Bondage set +343%
Demand for Premium Lingerie increases by 52% during lockdown
Searches for sexy lingerie has also been increasing since the lockdown. UK shoppers are searching for lingerie 52% more this month, then April last year.
Lingerie brands Agent Provocateur and Ann Summers have seen the biggest jump in demand with a 49% and 44% jump respectively in online searches. (April 2019 v April 2020).
Ann Summers’ Cherryann lace trim satin teddy in red is proving popular in lockdown
Trending: Teddies the lingerie of choice for lockdown love
Lace teddies are the trending lingerie for shoppers during the lockdown, with demand for the alluring underwear increasing by 52% in April, compared to April 2019. Demand for suspenders and thongs has increased by 39% and 26% respectively.
Why are we buying more bedroom toys in lockdown?
Stuart McClure, co-founder of LovetheSales.com said “ In these unusual times, couples isolating together are having more time in each others company than they usually would with a 9-5 job.
Partners are spending this time to reconnect as a couple and try new things. Lockdown is a perfect time to explore your likes and dislikes and we are certainly seeing this with the increasing demand for bedroom toys.
The Fifty Shades franchise certainly helped this by bringing these type of toys into the mainstream, removing out-dated stigmas behind buying toys for your partner in the bedroom.”
Listen to Stuart’s comments about the rise in demand for bedroom toys on the Radio 4 show, You & Yours here.
Brands promoting self-love & wellbeing
In light of the sex toy revolution, fashion brands are reaching out to their customers, promoting positive ‘self-care’ message on their own social accounts.
Female clothing brand, Free People has been reaching out to its female audience over Instagram, promoting self-love. Whilst Urban Outfitters went a step further and created a self-love friendly playlist for it's followers to listen to whilst having some alone time.
UK consumer demand is compiled from UK Google search and 4 million UK shoppers searching LovetheSales.com in 2020.
UK sales data is taken from shopping transactions through LovetheSales.com.
LovetheSales.com is a global marketplace for shopping discounts, the platform partners with more than 1,000 UK retailers.
