Years ago I owned a DVD rental chain store, the only one in the area with an Adult Room (not allowed to display R18 content in the general area), not sure what it was, but there was one evening in particular that provided heaps of entertainment -
Young couple came in, and after doing the obligatory perusal of normal movies, they slinked in to the adult room, you could see them on the camera nervously looking over the titles. Eventually they emerged and the young lass brought up a title to the desk. Her partner was hiding himself away near the ice creams, she turned and said “come on, this is for you”, but he didn’t budge. The title was “what men want”, I fetched the disc and then commented to her "you know, there is also one in there called “what women want”, she turned to him and started berating him before collecting their movie and heading out. Still laugh thinking about how awkward he was, wouldn’t come near the counter making her get it.
Same night -
Bloke walks into the room and selects a movie, rather than come up to the front of the counter, he leaned around the side “pssssst, hey mate” as he tried to discretely pass the title around the counter so that no one else could see what he was hiring. It was just the way he did it, made it far more obvious.
There was plenty of other funny moments too, but those two stick out mostly cause they happened within such a short time of each other.
I’ve never gone in a sex shop because I know I’d be really embarrassed even if nothing embarrassing happened to me Thanks goodness for LH…
One thing that always embarrasses me though is buying condoms. We always just get condoms at the grocery store along with other groceries, and every time we check out, when the cashier gets to the condoms, they’ll pause and look at my husband and then give me a long pervy look up and down, and then continue scanning I’ve gotten to where I’ll just go wait in the car if there are condoms in the basket when my husband heads to check out
I was in a popular high street sex toy and lingerie store once with my niece and her partner (there is only a few years between us so we are more like best friends and they were there looking for bras) I was looking at the whips and crops and bondage gear when the store assistant approached and asked if I needed any help. I politely said no I had found what I wanted and was just browsing, she promptly took the riding crop I had picked out from my hand and asked if it was going to be used on me. I told her maybe as long as it didn’t hurt too much but I’d need to test it first and she proceeded to swat my ass with it. Just then as i was telling her how much I liked it and she could go harder and she was giggling and telling me she could give me a thorough demonstration and was cropping my ass my niece and her partner walked over to me and called my name sounding a little shocked. I turned round to see I had an audience and almost everyone in the shop was watching me getting my ass spanked with a diamante crop and listening to me telling the girl how I loved being spanked quite hard and that I was into BDSM and couldn’t wait to feel the crop on my bare ass and see the marks it left. Safe to say I turned a deep shade of beetroot and quickly left the store without buying anything.
I remember a “Megastore” based on Hustler magazine opening in the centre of Birmingham about 20 years ago, went in but it was very pricey, and the quality seemed poor. It didn’t last very long. I can see why Lovehoney is a success, quality, decent prices and offers, and anonymity!
I remember the first sex stores back in the late 70s , they were always in a rough part of a given town . My buddies and I would go there as a group and one guy would stand guard over the car . The quality was very poor back then . Women I knew would have me buy them items because they were too scared to even go to the store . As a bonus at the time ( I was single ) I often got to give them my input so to speak on toys or view the kinky clothing they had me buy .
About the late 80s a new local chain opened up and they were leaps and bounds ahead . They were and are located in shopping centers and have similar items as LH . A guy I knew , knew the woman that started it and she did and is doing quite well .
Not particularly funny, but when I was younger (about a hundred years go!) I went into a sex shop for a box of condoms. I was shaking like a very shaky thing and I went up to the sales girl and stammered “C-c-c-can I have a b-b-bottle of c-c-condoms please.” She told me they came in boxes. Of course, I did actually know this!
When I was young the “Under the counter” mag was quite a known thing.
During the late 80’s a friend and his wife and my partner and I had been out for a few drinks. We were walking around Soho late at night when we came across a sex shop. My mate suggested we take a look inside inside, the girls wanted nothing to do with it and stated they will wait outside.
My mate and I walked into the shop, we looked around and eventually some bloke behind the counter said “I have some under the counter mags here” I with held my laugh as did my mate, politely we declined and left. As we did we both reflected on the fact the saying “Under the counter” things really did exist.
Moving on a few years, shops in Soho are no longer like that. Not that I have visited them in recent years I just know. Ha ha, yes I have been to Soho again and they really are not that “Tacky” anymore, well as far as I know not having been there for quite a few years now.
There’s what was once a nice brick and mortar shop just sold out to a larger chain. I don’t know how it will change but they never embarrassed me. They give them “Lovers Training” and they have really good knowledge and are encouraged to buy/take items home to know what they are talking about. There was another shop that did make some embarrassing (from the workers experience with certain types) yet very knowledgeable suggestions on butt plugs
I do think that maybe the shops will come back and hopefully be a nice place for people. I think it’ll help the culture to talk about sex and pleasure so others don’t have to get embarrassed. There shouldn’t be any shame.
Not really. Ever since shopping online for so long, nothing phases me now. The only thing that I find slightly embarrassing is when the staff are all over you in a store.
“This one is amazing! You’ll love it.”
“Top seller here!”
“Everything in store has 3% off! Wow! What a bargain!”
I know they are trying you make you feel welcome and more at ease, but I always find it annoying in any shop in general. Not to mention, some of the things they try and recommend, I already have or not interested in (which always seems to be the most expensive toy in the shop for some reason, haha).
I’ve also been in a small sex shop one time with my partner. The cashier asked my him “What’s she into?”. This was more of a DVD store, so maybe he was going to recommend one based on the answer. Still, I wonder why he asked my partner and not me directly?
As a youngster, remember when Bon Marche in Brixton had a display of vibrators in a discreet shop corner window. Puzzled looks on our faces. This was the early/mid 1970s
Later in Oxford, the first Private shop opened, they had protests at the front, so opened a back door. My first look around, was offered under the counter mags and books. The shop was On different levels. Did buy low quality toys, batteries always leaked, destroyed the toys power supply.
Over the years, the store got smaller, more speedier. There was another small shop Adult World, used to employ students to work there. Walked during lunch breaks. The only shop where someone was caught trying out the toys. From then on demo units had no battery, and you asked for a demo of the power, and vibe settings.
Then AS opened in the shopping centre. But I discovered LH,
Many years ago I called into an adult store and asked if they had different sized condoms and the female assistant started to explain the Magnum XLs etc. As she was talking a few couples walked close by and I eventually got a word in and explained I needed pretty small ones.
I could see a few glances and smiles being exchanged.
Thanks goodness for LH…
I’ve gotten to where I’ll just go wait in the car if there are condoms in the basket when my husband heads to check out 
