SAN JOSE, Calif. — Leading boutique novelty brand LELO has predicted that kink, ala “Fifty Shades,” is going the way of the dodo. And what’s replacing it may shock you with its sheer lack of shock — LELO says that 2014 will see an emphasis on the vanilla lifestyle.
The “Vanilla Revolution,” as the Swedish company has dubbed it, is evinced by the upsale of products that promote long-term intimacy between couples, and the continued downsale of kinky accessories.
LELO sales were tracked across its top 20 leading markets from October to December, ahead of the launch of the new Lelo Global Sex Survey, Digital Journal reported.
The report’s stats revealed that sales of BDSM accessories, like whips and teasers, reached a plateau in the last quarter of 2013, compared with a 50 percent increase over the same period in 2012.
Meanwhile, sales of premium couples massagers and vibrating couples’ rings worn during intercourse have increased by 82 percent compared with the same period last year.
“No one can deny the huge impact that ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ had on the intimate lifestyle industry, and LELO was one of the global brands to benefit from this shift in attitude through 2012 and 2013,” said Steve Thomson, LELO’s global marketing director.
He continued, “What is fascinating from this data is that customers are making longer-term investments that bring more regular pleasure to both partners. Roles of submission and domination have gone through a ‘Vanilla Revolution,’ to focus less on bondage and novelty, but rather on premium products that can be shared regularly to enhance our daily sex lives.”
The 2013 LELO Global Sex Survey will launch in early January 2014. For more details, visit https://www.lelo.com/survey.php.