Erotic retailing in the UK (1963-2003): The view from the marketing mix

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace the changes in the retail outlets that supply erotic products and toys. It explores changes in attitude towards these products over the four decades under review.

Design/methodology/approach – The marketing mix (the 4Ps of marketing) is the lens through which the past and contemporary retail environment for such erotic products is examined.

Findings – What emerges from the story of the journey from backstreet to online is the change in attitude towards both shops and products, and the development of shops selling sexually-arousing products to women, a trend unique to the last decades of the twentieth century.

Originality/value – The combination of an historical approach and the theoretical concept of the marketing mix provides a fresh view of the under-researched area of erotic retailing.