The “womanizer” is one of the best sellers (illustration).

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SOPA Images / SIPA

  • France has been confined again against the coronavirus since this Friday.

  • The day before, the people of Lille invaded the shops of the city center to take advantage of the last day.

  • Several sex shops have literally been robbed by customers fearing they might be bored.

Equipped to self-confine.

As soon as the country's re-containment was announced to fight against the second wave of the coronavirus epidemic, many French people began to stock up, emptying the pulp and toilet paper shelves of supermarkets.

However, supermarkets are not the only ones to have seen a sudden influx of customers.

This is also the case for sex shops or love stores.

In Lille, two shops in the city center have literally been robbed.

“We have a hit.

We saw people come running to buy something and then run away.

I had never seen such a frenzy in nine years of opening in Lille ”, is still surprised Patrick Pruvot, founder of the chain of shops Passage du Désir.

“On Thursday alone, we doubled our turnover, even better than a day of clearance sale,” confirms Maxime Figula, sales manager of the Babylone love-shops group.

A little bit of everything but a lot

If the purchase volume was very high, especially for "consumables", it does not necessarily emerge a particular product.

"Lots of sexy lingerie and games for couples, connected or not," we detail at Babylon.

"It had an effect of amplifying trends as for organic intimate cosmetics which sold very well", adds the founder of Passage du Désir.

The latter also notes the success of objects such as the Womanizer, a sex toy that works remotely by producing vibrations in the air.

"There is a decomplexion for this product which is morally more acceptable since it is non-penetrating, that it does not vibrate and that it does not touch", advances Patrick Pruvot.

Such enthusiasm had not been felt when the first confinement was announced last March.

“Sales had increased slightly but that had nothing to do with this time,” continues Maxime Figula.

“Maybe people were bored the first time around, it kind of clicked.

They said “after all, let's let go”, continues Patrick Pruvot.

Moreover, taken by surprise by the closing of shops, customers had fallen back on online orders.

The traffic literally exploded between March and April.

“Deconfinement remained very important even as the shops reopened and also experienced an influx of visitors.

This clearly means that we have won clients, ”says Patrick Pruvot.

Le Passage du Désir did not hesitate to ride the wave, in particular by offering a "containment pack" at a very attractive price.

“We are there to provide well-being and pleasure.

Many people wonder why we are not considered to be essential shops, ”insists Patrick Pruvot.

This may be the case, like bookstores, if there were to be a third lockdown.

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