An increasingly adventurous attitude to life in the bedroom by British consumers has led to an 18% surge in sales at Durex, part of SSL International.
A series of new sex toys such as a vibrating penis ring, a spaceship-shaped stimulator and “tingle” condoms helped SSL increase first-half group profits by 9,2% to £18,9-million.
The company is hoping to further boost sales of its Durex Play range with a slew of product launches, and from December 1 will advertise its vibrating ring on British television.
The advertisements, which will go out on Channels 4 and Five but only after 11pm, feature a man proposing to a woman, substituting the usual diamond engagement ring in the jewellery box with its vibrating ring.
The SSL chief executive, Garry Watts, said the marketing was “very tasteful” and that it was daft that the advertising regulator was going to keep it off the air until an hour before midnight.
Sales of upmarket vibrators, costing from £50, have also increased at Durex. But an inhibitor to further growth of these larger models is that SSL’s biggest customer, Boots, will not stock them.
Watts said he would be putting no pressure on Boots to change its stance but added that the high-street store continued to sell smaller vibrators, lubricants and condoms.
Half of SSL’s sales come from the internet, but Superdrug and other chemists as well as supermarkets stock many of the products.
“People are pretty open these days about their sex lives and media advertising is not entirely new, but what is new is putting an old-fashioned brand which denotes trust and quality behind it,” Watts said.
Analysts at Credit Suisse said the 18% growth in sales at Durex was “most impressive” but they also liked the way costs had been held back across the group.
SSL, which had an underlying group sales growth of 7%, also benefited from a rise in its Scholl footwear and footcare division on the back of new products.
Shares in the company rose 3% to 341p in early trading, valuing the company at £646-million.
SSL has already been propelled by speculation of a potential buyer. Watts declined to comment on any approaches. “It’s flattering to be fancied but I would not go further than that.” — Â