Valentine’s Day warms up the Lille winter. On the occasion of the feast of lovers, the gifts that the young inhabitants of Lille will exchange have very little to do with the traditional bouquets of flowers and jewellery. According to a study carried out by one of the largest French chains of love stores, it is now sex toys that are popular.
We had already seen, during the first two confinements, that the inhabitants of Lille were not the last to appreciate sex toys. The trend seems to be confirmed in the Passage du Désir stores located in Lille. The love store brand saw its sales of sex toys jump 123% in the capital of Flanders ahead of Valentine’s Day. “This still represents 360 toys sold in just two weeks and an increase in turnover of 23%,” confirms the brand.
A third of French people want to receive a sex toy
The Passage du Désir survey of 3,000 French people shows that the appetite for sex toys, especially on Valentine’s Day, is confirmed across the country. A third of respondents aged 18 to 44 would actually like to receive a sex toy as a gift on Valentine’s Day. And in Lille, women even represent 70% of the brand’s customers.
The lovetoys brand Amorelie has also launched a survey, confirming the trends highlighted by Passage du Désir. One question nevertheless shows a mismatch between gift plans and expectations: while 37% of respondents would be happy to be offered a sex toy, only 27% say they are ready to offer one according to Amorelie.
Beware of hackers of connected sex toys
On the other side, the florists have not said their last word. To avoid seeing their market share collapse, some are trying the combo by offering, like Carrément Fleurs, bouquets filled with naughty accessories. However, there is no need to look for the dildo in the middle of the roses, the florist puts more emphasis on soft: feather dusters, Kama-sutra or candles and scented massage oils.
For those who will have been delighted by receiving the latest connected sex toy, it will nevertheless be advisable to remain cautious. Benoît Grunemwald, cybersecurity expert at ESET France, recalls that any connected object, including a sex toy, can be the target of hacking. To guard against this, he recommends a few rules to follow: avoid using them in public places, such as bars or hotels, and keep the application connected to prevent the device from searching for Bluetooth. Well-advised advice if you want to prevent a stranger from taking remote control of your sex toy.