San Antonio stays satisfied as local sex shops see an increase in sales during COVID-19

By Taylor Pettaway, mySA.com / San Antonio Express-News

Updated 9:04 pm CDT, Thursday, April 30, 2020

In these uncertain times, San Antonians are in search of good vibes as adult novelty item sales have skyrocketed since COVID-19 sent everything into lockdown.

Across the city, adult entertainment shops have reached a climax in their online sales since March, several shop owners have reported.

“Right now, it is so important to find that release. We have been crazy busy since we closed our shop doors last month,”  said Amy Gonzalez, owner of the Love Shack Boutique on the northwest side. “Sex or masturbation is great because it releases endorphins that helps you relieve stress and relax.”

READ MORE: The latest news and features about coronavirus in San Antonio

“The stigma with the adult industry is decreasing, and it’s a good thing,” she added. “I always say the sex toy industry is recession-proof because people are going to need that outlet and they want to have fun.”

Her shop has seen a 100 percent jump in online sales since their shop doors closed.

Hustler Hollywood said its San Antonio store has experienced a 296 percent increase in online sales so far in April compared to March, and its biggest seller is lingerie, said Phillip Del Rio, vice president of retail for the adult novelty store. The company also noticed that its busiest week of sales was after the initial distribution of stimulus checks, he said.

Not only are people buying more items for pandemic sexy time, Del Rio said they found that people spend 20 to 30 percent more time than before exploring the various items in their online shop.

“This is giving us more time to educate and sell more to people because they now have the time to explore different things and learn about something new,” Del Rio said. “People are a lot more open and learning right now.”

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Melissa Jones, a sexologist and executive director of Sexology Institute and Boutique, said they have add more online classes because of higher interest. They have also seen more sales for items geared toward couples, as people suddenly have more time to spend together.

“With people trying to create that intimacy, they want to fine-tune what they like or see if there is something else they want to do together,” Jones said.

San Antonio isn’t unique. National trends have shown that adult novelty sales have increased nationwide. Jones and Gonzalez both said the warehouses they order their inventory from have been extremely busy and backed up since the pandemic started.

Experts say they aren’t totally surprised by the boom.

“At the end of the day, right now you have very few people in your circle because you are confined to your home,” Del Rio said. “And even if you have Zoom and such, you need that physical connection and what’s the most significant way to connect? Sex. There has been lots of bad with the virus, but one of the positive things is that you have time to spend with your family and your partner, and sex is part of that.”

Studies have shown that sex provides a number of health benefits, including lower blood pressure, increased immunity and releases good chemicals within the brain.

“Sexual health is important, it should be considered just another part of life,” Gonzalez said. “If it is what helps you relax or helps you feel good —especially during a pandemic — and it helps with health, it’s a good thing.”

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | [email protected] | @TaylorPettaway

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