Whilst xmas shopping friday myself and my OH entered a book store (chain store - relatively well known i should think). Anyway, whilst my OH looked for childrens books for our neice, i wandered off and found the "adult" section.
I was amazed that there was only one stand, tucked in the far corner of the darkest room by the history section. I looked through and the selection wasn't that great but they had tried to remain diverse, dedicating one shelf to gay novels, one to lesbian novels, one to heterosexual stories or miscellaneous and one final shelf to compliation like books.
Are we really that prudish as an english nation that erotic novels must be hidden in darkened corners?
What amazed me more was that the "self help" sex books, with such names as 365 positions and how to have better sex, could be found 5 steps away from the childrens books section.
I think it depends on where you go to be honest. I shop in asda mainly and most of the time I go in I have a wander down the aisle with the books and magazines just to have a browse. In the asda stores I've been in, the erotic fiction is mixed in with all the other fiction books which are actually opposite the teen/kids magazines in my local. And some erotic novels are even placed on the lower shelfs within easy reach for little ones.
If you were in a well known highstreet chain, then the positioning of the books is likely to have been the result of market analysis, customer behaviour studies and various other marketing tools.
The fact that they are hidden in the corner just tells you how niche the niche is.
I suspect the reason it's niche is that people feel more comfortable ordering this type of book from the internet - so maybe we are all prudes
I don't understand how marketing works, but I think it might be for a few reasons, why they put the books at the back.
1) People are uncomfortable standing at the front of the shop, reading the back covers of erotic books, while other shoppers flow past them. Maybe putting them at the back, actually helps sell more books, because customers feel more relaxed while they feel a bit more "hidden" to have a read of some of the back covers.
2) Away from children? I dunno if there are any rules to keep racey covers more "hidden"?
Hi LTC. Yes have to agree. Waterstones offer a little more got all my Nancy Friday Books in there they had them all on the shelf. Personally the OH and I have moved on to tablets, this is where the kindle does excel. Does make me smile to see what the OH has bought and what she is waiting to come out. You can prebook all the erotic literature ready for its release date.
Hi LTC. Yes have to agree. Waterstones offer a little more got all my Nancy Friday Books in there they had them all on the shelf. Personally the OH and I have moved on to tablets, this is where the kindle does excel. Does make me smile to see what the OH has bought and what she is waiting to come out. You can prebook all the erotic literature ready for its release date.
