Erotic online retailer Lovehoney has launched the world’s first sexual wellness store in the metaverse. Officially opening on 16 July in Decentraland, the pop-up will run through the end of the month. The immersive space includes a virtual shop floor where visitors can browse 3D versions of sex toys and lingerie, as well as educational talks from sexual wellness experts, an art gallery with erotic NFTs and a dance floor showcasing a new range of music-activated toys. The building i
ding itself appears to be made out of petals, and visitors can navigate the space by having their avatar ‘ride’ a floating petal between floors. They can also personalise their avatar’s appearance and clothing.
Bryony Cole, Lovehoney’s global sextech expert, said the metaverse lends itself to such creative self-expression.
“What I think is really cool about the metaverse is that you can be quite fantastical in terms of how you present yourself,” she told Inside Retail.
“You can have a building made out of petals. It can be really fun, playful, accessible and empowering.”
While a growing number of fashion and accessories brands, from Nike to Gucci to Casetify, have been opening stores in the metaverse recently, Lovehoney claims to be the first sexual wellness retailer to do so.
“The metaverse is so new, this is really just experimental,” Cole said. “The idea is to find out what the capabilities are, get everyone’s feedback and try out some of the innovations in this space.”
On the forefront of new tech
The sexual wellness industry has a long history of embracing new technologies and experiences.
“So much technology has been driven by sex tech, whether it’s payment processes, live streaming, or actually the internet,” Cole said. “It’s always the sexuality space, or gaming, that will be first movers.”
One of the reasons for this is the stigma that has traditionally surrounded the industry. Stores selling sex toys used to be seedy places that people didn’t want to be seen entering or exiting.
The rise of e-commerce changed that, with businesses like Lovehoney enabling people to browse and purchase products in the privacy of their own home. At the same time, the narrative around sex toys shifted from embarrassing to empowering.
“Sex does need a rebrand, and I think Lovehoney has been doing a really good job of that,” Cole said.
The metaverse takes this one step further by making the online shopping journey for sex toys more immersive and experiential.
“The metaverse is taking the education, entertainment and experiential elements that we get in person and putting it into a virtual world, which is really powerful,” she said.
Potential for product launches
People can use any computer to access the Decentraland metaverse — VR goggles aren’t required — so Lovehoney’s pop-up is accessible to a broad audience.
But while visitors can browse products, they currently can’t make purchases in the metaverse. Instead, they are redirected to Lovehoney’s e-commerce site to check out.
Beyond shopping, Cole believes that product launches are one of the biggest opportunities for retailers in the metaverse.
“It’s quite an interesting way to think about launching products, where the product is in the virtual world, but also the physical one,” she said.
Given the types of products on display, visitors must be over 18 years old to visit the pop-up.
Lovehoney has also created a security avatar, Betty the Bee, which informs visitors on how they can report inappropriate behaviour and block anyone who is making them feel uncomfortable.
The retailer, whose tagline is ‘the sexual happiness people’, said that consumer well-being and protection is its highest priority.