INTERVIEW: Online gay sex shop Esmale celebrates 10 years at the ‘top’

Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! We love to hear how businesses flourish, so how did it all start?

Thank you, 10 years sounds so long, but the decade flew by! It is difficult to say what preciously made the business a success. We believe it is a combination quality products at the right price and excellent customer service. We try and not only stock the big brands like Fleshjack but also support the smaller UK brands like Darkroom, Lubido, Rocks Off and more. This ensures that we have a unique offering and support smaller UK based businesses as well.

How it started? Well my husband and myself had been working in various jobs and we really wanted to see if we could set up an online business for ourself and no longer have to report to someone, we wanted more freedom. We chose this industry because I had some experience already and it slotted in well with what Steve (the husband) has to offer.

And where are you now?

Now, 10 years on, we have an office and a warehouse in London, where we work with a great team. We also have people working from home that offer technical, content and design support. I wish we had a house big enough to operate the business but with all the staff and thousands of products in store it is unfortunately impossible

Has Brexit, the pandemic etc (take your pick!) affected your business?

Both Brexit and the pandemic have had an impact. Brexit mostly affected our sales to the EU. With the extra paperwork that was needed to get through customs we had many parcels returned. It was rather a learning curve but now we have it under control and our international sales are on the up again.

With regards to the pandemic, we were the fortunate ones. With the stores closed more people went online and we benefited from that. It was hard work though. At the height of lockdown we had more orders but hardly any staff. Knowing how it has unfortunately affected other businesses we were and are very thankful that we got through it the way we did.

Over those 10 years have you noticed any shifts in your customer profiles?

We really have. A big, but great surprise was the variety within our client base. We have customers with a huge variety in sexual preferences and personal identities. We provide pleasure tools to the entire LGBTQ+ community and outside it.

We are also seeing a trend that people are starting the exploration of what they like sooner than a decade ago. We serve the 18+ generation as well as the over 70s and 80s plus everything in between. It is great to see so many people enjoying the products we offer.

How was lockdown for you? Were you able to make any observations about how gay men were affected?

Lockdown was hard work but, as mentioned earlier, we were the lucky ones. We did spot some interesting patterns though. We got more customers call in to order and have a chat at the same time, an indication that customers were missing human communication. At least we think so. We also saw an increase in the sale of app-based products so people can remotely have fun together.

Our sister store that sells some of the best poppers in the UK saw an increase as well. There was a lot of self-play going on during lockdown. It was a hard time for many people but hopefully we have seen the worst of it and can start going back to how things were or at least as close to it as possible.

What’s trending right now? And what have been your most consistently popular items over the last 10 years?

We have so many different departments like sex toys, fetish, sashion and sex essentials and they all have different things that are popular. In general, our anal toys for men does very well. We have some rotating dildos that customers seem to like, these supply an intense bum party.

A trend we are seeing in the underwear department is that our fetish ranges are doing well. We are talking bottomless briefs, easy access pouches and bulge enhancing briefs and jockstraps. Our BDSM products are also popular, it feels like the whole of the UK it is getting its kink on.

From a consistent point of view our lubes, cock rings and performance enhancing stimulants have been in demand from day one. We can also not forget the desire to have a good wank, our masturbators are getting better and better. A lot of new technology in these toys ensures plenty of intense orgasms.

How will you celebrate your anniversary?  (By the way we looked and the 10th anniversary is tin or aluminium!)

Celebrations will take place in the form of discounts on the store, what better way to thank our customers and offer everybody their favourite products but at a reduced price. We have had many messages from customers already, this is very much appreciated as without our them we would be nowhere. Of course, we are also celebrating with the team. Dinner, drinks, and night on the town followed by a hard day in the offices softened by some food from the local café.

Ok, so tin or aluminium…mmmm…maybe we should produce an engraved aluminium penis ring to create a momento product.

Lastly, now that you have reached this milestone, is there anything you would like to share?

Mainly we would like to express our thanks to our customers and the fact that many keep coming back to us. It has been and still is hard work to keep an online store going but it is worth it. The contact we have with our customers, either on the phone or via email and social media is great.

We hear stories about how certain products have had a positive effect on people lives and then there are the more x-rated anecdotes that entertain us.

Our customers have been great, and we appreciate it a lot. This is keeping us motivated to keep improving and progressing.

With love, Team www.esmale.com