When SE’s Kris Kay and Kristen Burke hit the road to visit stores along one of Florida’s most traveled highways, they had no idea they were about to embark on a full-blown Bill & Ted–style adventure, teleported through time with every door they walked through.
(Note: This article was originally published in the December 2025 issue of SE Magazine.)
In the Tampa Bay area, there’s one road that can summon a collective groan with a single mention: U.S. Highway 19. Eternally under construction for reasons no one can quite pinpoint, traffic is frequently a topic of conversation and considered a major inconvenience to most during their commute. As a native New Yorker, I find the traffic flow on U.S. 19 a welcome change from the daily gridlock I’d become accustomed to, and while I can easily look past the construction, even I can’t ignore the bizarre architectural time warp lining the highway.
It’s not uncommon to spot a shiny new car wash sandwiched between a ‘90s-era shopping center and a liquor store that appears to have opened the same year Florida was founded. Driving this stretch of road is the closest anyone has come to cruising through a wormhole, and the disparities were even more obvious when SE’s Managing Editor Kris Kay and I spent a day stopping by some local sex shops.
One minute, we were stepping into a sleek boutique with chandeliers and ambient lighting. The next, we were walking into what can only be described as a shabby VFW hall during a porn enthusiast’s estate sale hosted by a group of elderly voyeurs. It was at this point that we began to believe our adventure through time had taken a most serious turn.
Despite a few uncomfortable moments, our journey took us behind the scenes with employees, managers and owners eager to talk about what’s selling, what’s tanking and the one product that kept their stores afloat in 2025. Along the way, we learned how some are utilizing store layouts, product displays and elevated customer experiences to drive foot traffic.
A year marked by setbacks
When asked to reflect on 2025, everyone had the same thing to say: sales were bad. Really bad. Reasons varied, but with the exception of Cupid’s Boutique blaming the construction on U.S. 19, they all stemmed from one thing: a bad economy. When people are struggling to pay their electric bills, splurging on a new lingerie set or Bluetooth-enabled vibrator is pretty low on the priority list.
“This is a store of wants, not needs,” says Michael, manager of XXX-Clusive Adult Store in Palm Harbor. “No one is buying anything other than the essentials.”
Even seemingly small economic shifts had ripple effects. At Intimate Desires in Palm Harbor, owners Adam and Dave told us they’re planning to relocate despite buying the store in the once-bustling shopping plaza just three years ago. Rising rent has pushed out neighboring businesses, leaving enough empty storefronts to impact their store’s foot traffic.
Tariffs also added confusion and cost in 2025, forcing some stores to shrink orders while others passed the increases on to consumers already stretched thin.
When the economy is impacting stores to such a degree, something like the daily construction in front of Cupid’s Boutique can put a store out of business. Between the soundtrack of endless jackhammering and the dump trucks that have overtaken the parking lot for over a year, the store is barely making a profit.
“We have everything, except customers,” Gamage, one of the store’s three employees, tells us with a chuckle.
Luckily, there was one product that kept these retailers from totally disappearing into a time vortex.
The product keeping stores afloat
Despite a drop in profits in 2025, every store we visited had overwhelming success selling sexual performance enhancements, with some going as far as to credit supplements for keeping them in business. Apparently, when budgets tighten, arousal becomes as essential as groceries and electricity, and customers will stock up accordingly.
App-controlled vibrators and lubes (especially JO) were also solid performers for these Tampa Bay retailers. Meanwhile, a few once-reliable categories took a hit. DVDs and magazines continue their slow fade into history, while the rise of medical marijuana facilities tanked smoke-shop sales, turning a former top-selling category into dead shelf space.
Brand recognition, or the lack of it, was another issue across multiple stores. Michael of XXX-Clusive Adult Store told us his customers don’t come in looking for products made by specific brands, nor are they familiar with even the most popular brand names.
“Customers ask me what products are good,” he shares. “They don’t care what brand it is.”
This became a problem when one of the store’s bestselling lubes kept changing its packaging, confusing customers who began to think the store had stopped carrying it, often walking out empty-handed. That means more work for retailers educating customers, training staff and adding in-store signage to bridge the brand-awareness gap and keep sales moving.
Merchandising done right
Effective merchandising in adult retail isn’t just about well-organized shelves and eye-catching window displays. It’s about creating an atmosphere where customers feel comfortable enough to actually shop instead of pretending to browse as internal panic sets in, ultimately leading to a fake phone call and brisk walk out of the store.
One of the first things I noticed upon walking into each store was how overwhelmed I was by overstuffed wall displays and tight aisles. There was no desire to browse, only the desire to leave. Customers should be able to move freely, discover products naturally and not wonder if they’ve accidentally wandered into the stockroom.
Even a well-organized display can be overwhelming. Too often, I found myself reaching for a toy only to knock others off their hooks. Boxes scattered on the floor indicated I wasn’t alone in this experience. While slot walls can be a great way to exhibit products, there are few things I find more irritating than shopping in a store where the hooks are filled to the brim and sitting too close together. Instead of getting a closer look at the items I’m interested in, I am distracted by the unavoidable game of Jenga I have to play to get things on and off hooks without disturbing the display. In this case, less is more, and a well-spaced-out wall display can make all the difference.
Seasonal merchandising is another tool that keeps things fresh. Holiday or themed displays are an instant attention-grabber, but catering to local events shows you truly know your customers. A Gasparilla display at Todd Couples Superstore in Port Richey caught my attention for just this reason, catering to locals and tourists who plan to attend the annual pirate festival in January. The store’s manager, Patricia, told us that while they have displays for major holidays like Halloween and Christmas, they also have seasonal displays for the area’s most popular events.
The Todd also had niche merchandising down, with sections specifically designed to appeal to those in the BDSM and plus-size communities. Doing so isn’t just inclusive; it’s smart business. When you tailor your displays to the people actually walking through the door, merchandising becomes less stressful and more successful.
Lighting that sets vibes
Two elements can make or break a customer’s shopping experience: lighting and signage. Too many stores we visited relied on harsh panel lighting that only works well in hospitals and schools. Larger stores can get away with intense lights, as high ceilings prevent them from frying shoppers’ retinas, but smaller shops benefit more from soft, warm illumination that immediately puts customers at ease.
A model example, the owners of XXX-Clusive Adult recently upgraded to soft, white ceiling bulbs that were gentle on the eyes. Clusters of pendant lights also hang above key areas, creating a layered effect that contrasts nicely with neon signs that point customers to shoes, DVDs and other product sections, balancing function with ambiance.
Intimate Desires also nails the lighting game, combining soft white ceiling lights with elegant chandeliers to create a welcoming, boutique-like atmosphere. The store’s Vogue-worthy dressing room is also worth mentioning, featuring antique mirrors draped in lush greenery and a velour curtain pulled to each side with golden tassels that set an upscale vibe for shoppers.
If these visits taught us anything, it’s that lighting and signage aren’t just functional. They set the tone and mood of the store, and when customers feel comfortable and relaxed, they linger longer, browse more and ultimately fill their baskets. Even something as simple as the right light or a well-placed sign can turn a casual browse into a completed sale.
The elevated experience works
Some adult stores don’t just sell products; They create an experience so good that customers come back like they’re collecting loyalty points, even when none are offered. This wasn’t the case for most of the stores we visited. While most of them were either empty or only had a customer or two while we were there, one store was far too busy for a Friday afternoon. (Don’t these people have jobs?) The doors of The Todd got a ton of action while we walked the floor with Patricia, and as she showed us around, it quickly became clear why they attracted more shoppers than anyone else. It’s all of the extras.
Unlike the other stores we visited, The Todd goes above and beyond to create an elevated experience for its customers, offering monthly drawings for a $100 gift card, educational pamphlets providing valuable information and tips and a Lube Testing Station where customers can taste lubes, compare textures and see what works for them.
“We want to educate people,” explains Patricia. “We don’t want to just sell to them.”
Another quiet superpower? The Todd had four staff members on the floor, three of whom were female. Stores consistently report that having women on the sales floor puts customers at ease and opens the door to more honest, productive conversations, yet this was the only store we visited that had female employees working at the time. In fact, they all had just one male employee working, except Intimate Desires, which had two.
We all know shoppers find women more approachable and usually feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics with them, yet for so many store owners, that doesn’t change who they hire. And if women aren’t comfortable working in your store, they’re probably not comfortable shopping there either.
Something most of the stores offered, and one of the easiest ways to elevate customer experience, is discounts for dancers and couples. These kinds of perks go a long way in building customer loyalty. Discounts for couples encourage date-night shopping sprees, and discounts for dancers not only support a key customer segment but also build strong word-of-mouth in communities that genuinely appreciate it. And let’s be honest, word-of-mouth from dancers travels faster than your last shipment of new releases. In the end, going the extra mile doesn’t just create a better shopping experience; It creates repeat customers who feel connected to your store, and in this industry, connection is everything.
Party on, retailers
Our Excellent Adventure along U.S. 19 taught us that the adult retail landscape is part time capsule, part economic rollercoaster and part opportunity. Still, the stores that embrace thoughtful merchandising, clear signage, inviting lighting and customer-focused experiences are the ones thriving, even throughout one of the toughest years in a while.
In a world where shoppers can travel through time (or at least feel like they can), remember that retailers who elevate their experience will be the ones customers return to again and again. (And that just because an adult arcade booth has a door doesn’t mean the person inside will use the door.)
Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!
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