Sex care: super sexual revolution as sales rise £5m

There’s a sexual revolution going on in the supers. Combined sales of condoms, lubes and sex devices are up £5m (6.7% ); volumes have inched up 0.9%, showing that today’s shoppers are prepared to pay a little bit more for products that help them get their rocks off.

“Premiumisation is a clear trend across sex care, driven by Durex as the face of the category,” says Nielsen client manager Carina Hess. “Durex condoms in premium packs are on average 40p more expensive per foil than other non-premium branded ranges.”

So condoms’ 3.4% growth on volumes down 2.3% is chiefly the result of pricier Durex lines such as Intense Stimulating (ribbed, dotted and embued with lube to ‘give her earth-shattering experiences’), Extra Thin Sensitive and ‘natural feeling’ Reel Feel.

Higher price per unit is also the result of larger packs. Size matters, suggests a spokeswoman at LifeStyles Healthcare, which acquired Skyn and Mates in September.

“Growth in condoms can mainly be attributed to the move towards bigger pack sizes (24 or 30 condoms) and thus increasing average unit price,” she says, adding that the supers’ volume loss is partly down to online growth. “People are buying more online through company websites or online platforms like Amazon in bigger packs.”

In lubricants, premiumisation is also taking place, with products such as Durex Play Perfect Glide and (our Top Launch) Intense - (both of which carry an rsp more than double that of standard lines), pushing average price up 9.5%. That’s the second sharpest prices rise of the 114 sectors measured in this report.

Surprisingly, certain food trends are playing out here, too. And not just in terms of flavours. “The free-from trend is becoming visible as brands release products with natural ingredients,” says Hess. “Durex Natural Pleasure Gel, for example, uses a water-based formula, has no added fragrance or colours, is pH friendly, and contains pre-biotics to help the body maintain skin balance.”

It’s certainly hit the spot, contributing 31.7% to lubricants’ £2.9m growth. While products such as Natural Please Gel (rsp: £12.49/100ml) are pushing prices up, sex device prices are falling. They’re down 5.3% thanks to growing distribution for products such as Durex Intense vibrating rings and Delight Vibrating Bullets. Tesco is now selling the former for £5 and the latter at two for £14.

That’s pricey next to one of the most talked about launches of the year: Poundland’s Nooky range of sex toys, lubricating gels and Viagra-type pills (called Blue Pills for Men) on offer for a randy round pound. The retailer claims it’s been a huge success, with a pack of Blue Pills being sold every second.

TOP LAUNCH

Intense Orgasmic Gel by Reckitt Benckiser

We could have gone for the Durex Natural Pleasure Gel for our top launch of the year. After all, it’s delivered more than any other NPD this year. But we couldn’t ignore the bold claims of Durex’s latest launch, could we? RB has bottled the orgasm. Twenty, actually: the brand claims a 10ml bottle of the stuff will deliver 20 ‘earth-shattering’ orgasms, when applied to the right spot during foreplay. Oo-er. We’re off for a cold shower.