Online adult store opens high street pop-up

An online-only adult retailer has decided to move into physical retailing, opening a pop-up shop in Central London

Spotted: Online-only retailer Lovehoney is trialling a move to a physical shop. Lovehoney specialises in adult products which, with its privacy, have a natural home on the internet. However, the company is opening a pop-up shop in London’s Covent Garden to see what it can learn from a temporary transition to bricks-and-mortar.

The shop is open for 12 days in the run-up to Christmas, but not over the holiday season itself. The company is looking to ramp up sales before one of its busiest periods, by giving customers the chance to talk to staff and get advice before buying. The strategy could prove useful not just in the lead-up to Christmas, but on Black Friday and Valentine’s Day too, three holidays the company refers to as “the three peaks challenge.”

Customer reviews are very important to Lovehoney. The company has employees dedicated to reading these reviews and other forums, who feed this information to product development teams. Lovehoney sees the pop-up shop as another a way to engage with customers, as well as to encourage new consumers to try its products.

“The people who know us love us but we now need to spread that love wider,” Lovehoney CEO Sarah Warby told Marketing Week.

Pop-ups are a growing trend in retail. They are a chance for businesses to try out new formats and products, with minimal investment. Innovative pop-ups recently covered by Springwise have included a gender-neutral clothing store and a café with courses in activism.