THE
WALMART
OF WANG
THE INTERNET HAS NOT KILLED
IN-PERSON SEX TOY SHOPPING
By Will Kennedy
B
irds do it, bees do it, non-
binary millennials do it.
Human sexuality, in all its
variety, is universal.
And for nearly as long
as humans have been
reproducing their own
likeness in art, we’ve been
leveraging that most human ability to produce dirty
imagery — meant to shock, inspire, titillate or simply
get us off.
Whenever there’s behavior as ubiquitous as sex,
commerce tends to get involved; capitalists seek to
make money off explicit pictures, toys, clothing and all
sorts of other sex gadgets and fetish accessories.
Such products used to be — and in many cases still
are — confined to adult shops or behind the curtain at
your local video rental store.
But a little like the music industry, the internet
unzipped the fly on smut’s manufactured scarcity a
while ago. These days it’s just as easy to find whatever
turns you on with your phone as it is to know the
weather forecast in Boca Raton.
While it’s true the internet has disrupted many
other sectors of retail, Lisa Stephens says the digital
age has been, paradoxically, a positive development for
her business.
“The internet has vastly increased the acceptance
and open use of adult products, which has increased
E U G E N E W E E K LY . C O M
our customer base,” she writes me in an email from
Castle’s corporate offices in Arizona.
Stephens is director of sales at Castle Megastore, a
chain of large adult stores with 16 locations all over the
U.S., with a location on West 11th in Eugene.
Service is what keeps customers loyal, she says.
“Castle offers personalized customer service,” helping
to ensure that customers make the right selection for
their intimate needs.
This is in keeping with national statistics. According
to market research firm IBISWorld, “Globally, the
sex toy industry is predicted to grow by $9.9 billion
between 2019 and 2023.” And the firm says widespread
acceptance of sex paraphernalia, increased portrayals
of sexuality on TV and books like 50 Shades of Grey
have “helped boost demand for industry stores.”
Step into a Castle Megastore, and it’s clear they
aim to be like a big box equivalent to a traditional sex
shop — the Walmart of wang, if you will — no identity-
concealing trench coat required.
The stores are big and well-lit, and on a recent visit
to the Eugene location, flesh surrounded me on all
sides, focused on the usual suspects — muscular men
and curvy women — but also more bare feet than a
Tarantino movie.
The product mix at Castle caters to all orientations
and carries fetish items, bondage boards, paddles and
handcuffs with brand names like Spank Provocateur,
Metal Wand and Metal Pleasure Plays.
There are also relatively benign bachelor or
bachelorette party supplies. Penis-shaped gummy
candy anyone?
The store still sells dirty magazines and DVDs, as
well as lingerie and costumes, with a large selection
of lube and vibrators, in all colors, shapes and sizes,
exhibited on the sort of fixtures that you might see
displaying iPhones at a different store.
Sexuality is as diverse as humans are individual, so
representation is a priority for Castle, Stephens says.
“The demographic of our teams is extremely diverse,
representing all races, creeds and orientations. Our
teams know these communities and what product lines
to suggest to serve these diverse communities.”
Stephens says that 80 percent of Castle customers
are women and couples, and Castle hires sales
associates from the diverse communities served by
the store. Many Castle employees are married with
children, she says.
“Our stores offer a clean, modern retail experience
just like you would find at the local mall shopping at the
best retailers,” she says.
While at Castle, I found myself gazing for a time into
the empty eyes of a mannequin wearing nothing but a
fake leather dog mask on its head, with zippered ears,
eyes and mouth.
I searched the depths of my libido. What was I
missing? Then again, I did leave Castle wondering how
much I had actually lived. ■
F E B R U A R Y
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