I am always on the lookout for new sex shops. I figure that I’ll be able to find better deals, work out reviewing and other business relationships and find out about more toys — new toys! — before everyone else. So it shouldn’t surprise my readers to find out that I spend quite a bit of time browsing for sex toys, Internet window shopping as it were. It’s a pretty cool part of the job and I certainly don’t mind that aspect.
I’m noticing that a lot of sex toy retailers are becoming more community-minded. They’re reaching out via Twitter, Facebook and blogs–Pulse and Cocktails is a UK retailer that does all three. It’s nice to be able to actually contact someone, to make human interaction. It’s even nicer if you have a question or an issue with an order. Some online retailers (and websites in general) come off as really mechanical and you never know if anyone has seen your inquiries or if anyone will actually respond. Perhaps the websites are just lingering in the abyss of nothing-ever-dies-on-the-Internet.
Of course, as a reviewer myself, I am that much more likely to reader others’ reviews when shopping for myself so any shop that doesn’t have a dynamic review system is going to find it that much more difficult to get my money. Just sayin’. It seems like quite a few brick and mortar retailers throw up websites because it’s the “cool” thing to do but they don’t put a lot of effort into them. I appreciate the websites that integrate both online and in-person experiences. It’s one of the reasons I always plan to visit some of the retailers that exist on the coasts of the USA, if I ever get the chance, and I bet I’m not alone.
