The story behind retailer Sensual Distributors reveals a lot about what motivates the passionate people whose hard work drives the pleasure sector. This local brick-and-mortar is a “mom and mom” operation led by co-owners Alana Thompson and Angini Singh, a lesbian couple who overcame their country’s strict, religious culture to create a sexual wellness boutique that serves their unique community.
Situated on the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Sensual Distributors caters to a diverse customer audience. The islands are home to people of African, Indian and mixed descent, many of whom are devoted Christians, Hindus and Muslims — which initially meant that Thompson and Singh faced a less-than-ideal climate for pleasure retail.
Working in the pleasure industry doesn’t really feel like work — we meet so many people, and knowing that we make a difference in their lives is satisfying.
“With most of our population being of strong religious beliefs, it took quite a while for people to feel comfortable enough to come into our store,” recalls Thompson. “Once we got them in the store, it was not difficult for them to understand the need for products of this nature, and the taboo feeling of being in an adult shop was broken.”
Their task was further complicated by the seedy reputation of Sensual Distributors’ only competitor, a “happy ending”-type massage parlor masquerading as an adult boutique. By contrast, Thompson and Singh describe their three retail outlets as the “complete adult store” experience. The shops supply an extensive range of sex toys, adult games, lingerie and men’s underwear, adult books, DVDs, lubricants, supplements and various novelties.
The company’s goal, Thompson notes, has remained the same since inception: to provide a safe space where adults of any religious background, age or sexual orientation can walk in and not feel judgment or discrimination. They also set out to bring “a woman’s touch” to adult retail.
“All our staff members are female, and some are single mothers,” says Thompson. “We try to give back this way, to help empower other women.
“We also wanted to dispel the taboos of speaking about sex or believing that having sexual dysfunctions meant that you are broken,” she adds. “Our mission was and is to provide accurate information that helps people understand their bodies and tap into their sexual interests.”
Thompson and Singh were already romantic partners before deciding to run a company together. When they met in August 2005, Thompson was working in the construction industry as an expediter. Singh, a third-generation business owner, had been running her adult shop, Exotic Pleasures, for two years.
When Thompson officially joined the company in February 2006, the pair decided on a rebrand, changing the name to Sensual Distributors Ltd. Singh and Thompson tied the knot on Aug. 4, 2018. During most of their 18 years together, they have proudly shared the title of co-business directors. Thompson handles purchasing and supply, including inventory management. Her duties include sourcing new goods and keeping up with the ever-evolving trends within the pleasure space. Angini is a numbers woman who generally handles finance and accounting matters.
“We always joke that she manages the money and I spend it,” says Thompson. “We both sit and discuss regularly how to improve and expand our business and the range of products that we supply to our customers. We let our feedback from our customers guide us.”
Singh and Thompson’s backgrounds and upbringings have contributed significantly to how they approach and run their business, but their individual stories could not be more different.
Singh was raised in a traditional Hindu family, which forbade discussions of sex in the household and arranged her marriage to a man when she was 22. Luckily, Singh was able to divorce when she realized that a better life awaited her outside of the dogma she had been taught.
“It was at that point that I understood my sex life was truly lacking any passion or adventure,” says Singh. “After being divorced, I opened up to exploring my sex life, and I soon realized I was not alone in my experience and decided to learn more about sex and sexuality.”
After a period of world travel, she recognized the need for a hub of pleasure education and explorative products within her own country, though she knew it would take time for others from similarly conservative backgrounds to open up to such ideas.
Thompson, on the other hand, developed early what she calls “a keen interest in the human body and sexual behaviors,” devouring books on anatomy and sexual function.
“Even as a teenager, I was comfortable with discussing sex and often gave advice to friends who were engaged in sexual activity,” Thompson shares. “In my adult years before getting into the business with Angini, I became a go-to person for advice and information relating to sex and relationships. At one point, I considered becoming a psychologist or therapist.”
Together, Thompson and Singh draw upon their backgrounds and experiences to create an in-store atmosphere and approach that serves whoever may walk through their doors.
“Our regular customers are quite comfortable and have no hang-ups whatsoever,” explains Thompson. “They state their purpose as they enter the doorway, whether other people are around or not! Then there are the ones that still are uncomfortable. We give them that one-on-one rapport and privacy that they require. We welcome the newbies and give them a general rundown of what we carry, then leave them to browse to help ease them into a state of comfort.”
Throughout the coming year, these business and life partners look forward to focusing on their stores — including the new shop they opened this year, Adult Play Things TT — as well as revamping their flagship operation and joining their colleagues at international trade shows.
“Working in the pleasure industry doesn’t really feel like work,” says Thompson. “We meet so many people, and knowing that we make a difference in their lives is satisfying.”
Thompson and Singh’s experiences, and the success of Sensual Distributors, paint an optimistic picture of a local culture that is starting to embrace sexual health. Having broken free of her own repressed youth, Singh sincerely hopes that is the case.
“Sex has been and will always be a curious part of human nature,” she observes — and it seems her fellow Trinidadians are beginning to agree.
