
Maria Kononchuk and Andrei Vovk, owners of the network of intimate stores Toppers, told about the peculiarities of their business, sexual education, innovations in the sphere of intimate toys and the preferences of Ukrainians.
Toppers – is an intimate store, aiming to change the perception of sex shops. The brand stands for openness and boldness in theme of sexuality. The Toppers philosophy is based on three principles: “Health. Safety. Enjoyment”. The brand is aimed at an educational mission, helping people understand their bodies and sexuality, as well as disseminate knowledge about safe sex and intimate health.
The Toppers network now has 11 stores and an online store.
– How did the idea to create the Toppers sexnetwork ? What main stages of the development of the company do you highlight?
– First of all, we were interested in opening a new niche, both for ourselves, and for the consumer. Before opening sex-shops we had experience in retail clothing and shoes, but with time this direction stopped being attractive for small businesses, because the Ukrainian market was already saturated with network international companies.
We began to study the market of retail offerings, and our attention was attracted by sex shops. The lion’s share of offerings in this niche was online, in the offline situation was similar.
We noticed that the locations of most sex shops were in distant, unnoticeable places. In the end of the end of our idea worked. When forming the assortment we did away from low-quality and cheap products, and choose the strategy to open in the TRC, to be where our customer is used to shop. – How has the perception of sex shops in Ukraine over the time that Toppers exists? – – Six years ago visiting a sex shop was in most cases perceived at the level of entertainment. Many visitors wanted to be unnoticed. This was because sexual education didn’t exist in the country. It was uncomfortable and shameful to talk about intimate topics. Since the time the the subject of sexual education began to be discussed more in the media and social networks. Experts and sexologists began professionally recommending the use of intimate goods to improve intimate life. Also more physical specialized stores have appeared in the market, so the Ukrainians have begun to form the habit of visiting sex-shops. – – How has the war in Ukraine affected the Business Toppers? – – In the beginning of the full-scale invasion we thought it was the end. The priority was products and commodities of first need. We asked the question – who would need intimate goods in this time? But when we resumed our work, we found that people need basic intimate goodscondoms, lubricants, lubricants, disinfectants, medicines. Toys are also bought. This indicated the desire of people to keep intimate life even in difficult conditions. We realized that we needed and decided not to stop. From October 2022 year we opened seven offline stores, and also launched online for the convenience of customers. In three years of the Big War Our revenues have increased more than four fold. – What stereotypes about sex shops would you want to dispel? What core values are in the basis of Toppers’ activities? – – The goal of every one of our team is to destroy stereotypes about the sex shop as “the place for perverts”, because let’s be true, somewhere that’s how they used to be perceived. Our target audience is everyone and everyone. Hygiene and protection products, toys for intimate life are the same “ordinary” household things as toothpaste or a smartphone. Having sex with different toys is not perversion, but a normal attitude. The values of Toppers – are health, safety and pleasure. It is the use of quality cosmetics, protection and different toys will help improve the quality of sex between partners and reveal the sensitivity to the erogenous zones, and also improve the “climate” in the relationship. – What criteria do you use in forming the assortment of goods?Are you monitoring the quality of the products you offer? – The main criterion is the demand of customers. Consider the depth and width of the assortment of each category depending on the needs of the trading point. Also important criterion is the presentation of news. Now assortment intimate toys in Ukraine is sufficiently wide For we are important quality goods, Therefore we have determined a list of top brands, which use quality materials and the latest technologies. When receiving goods to the store, the staff additionally checks the goods for the presence of abandonment and expiration dates of cosmetic medicines and condoms. – A What are the most popular categories of goods among your customers? What services, besides selling goods, do you offer your customers? – The most popular categories of goods are lubricants and condoms. And this we are pleased. We understand that people care about their health and safety. In the toys category popular are smart toys and toys with innovative technology (clitoral stimulators, vibrators, masturbators and pair toys). Gift group in composed of games, funny and entertaining toys are also popular. – How do you build communication with customers? What channels do you use? – Our Communication with clients is based on respect, empathy,We strive to create a space where every person can feel comfortable and confident when choosing products for their intimate life. The main channel is Instagram, where we not only present products, but also share helpful advice, answer questions of the audience in comments and personal messages, consult on many issues both in the choice of sex products, and about sexual life in whole. We use daily stories and Reels, to engage with subscribers in an interactive format. For example, through surveys or questions or question-and-answer columns . In addition, we also actively communicate in our physical stores . Our consultants are always ready to help clients choose what they need, answer any questions and provide recommendations or in-depth consultation. One more important channel is the customer feedback. We attentively monitor the feedback and take it into account to continually improve our service. – How do you reckon with the taboo topic of sexuality in advertising? – We understand that the topic of sexuality is still taboo for many, but we believe that through open and sensitive communication we can change this. Our goal is to make intimate life comfortable for everyone, so we try to talk about it naturally and with respect for all views. In our advertising we keep a balance between informative and aesthetics, we avoid vulgarity and emphasize that care of our intimate health is important and normal. WeWe aim to break down the stereotypes associated with sexuality and show that it is a part of our lives that we can be proud of, not ashamed of. While doing so, we always consider the context and the audience to remain responsible in our communication. – What are the most effective marketing tools you use? – We use different marketing tools, but the most effective for us are advertising with bloggers and targeted advertising. Advertising with bloggers is a best way to attract new audiences and show that sex shops can be stylish, modern and open to everyone. We invite bloggers to visit our stores, so they can feel the atmosphere, talk with our consultants and see the quality of our products. Targeted advertising – is another extremely effective tool. We use it to attract targeted audiences, increase recognition of the Toppers brand, and also to promote both our online products, and our physical stores. With targeting we can determine exactly who our audience is, and show relevant content to their interest. – Does Your Company Reach out to address social problems related to sexual education and health? – Our contribution to this problem will be felt.both in everyday work, and in the framework of more large social initiatives. The last project in which Toppers participated, was the “All about it” a scale educational event in Lviv, dedicated to the theme of sexuality. The goal of the event was to attract attention to the problem of the absence of sexual education and to help normalize open conversations about sex. The event featured experts in psychology, medicine and sexology, as well as thematic lectures. In our stores we consult customers, helping them to learn more about their products, their safety and use. In Social Media Toppers we regularly publish educational materials that cover important topics, from intimate health to advice on improving sexual life. – What are the plans of Toppers for the nearest future? – The Toppers network now has 11 stores and an online store. The plans to open another five trading points in 2025 year . Also plan to upgrade, improve design and functionality of the website; optimize good stocks based on diagnostics of attracted specialists; expand the assortment of popular categories; increase quality of service by training and upgrading the skills of staff. – How do you see the market of sex shops in Ukraine? – The Ukraine market has high potential for development, if we and our colleagues will manage to create and maintain a civilized format of sex-shops, visiting which would become akin to the common to buy hygiene or cosmetics. In together this segment of consumer goods onlyis beginning to gain popularity and come out of the shadow of puritanism, taboo and silent public condemnation. – What new trends in the sex market do you notice? – – The sex market is very fast developing, introducing innovative technologies that allow experimentation and new experiences. Pleasure Air is an unprecedented technology for contactless stimulation with air. Sound stimulation with the use of acoustic waves for more depth penetration. Biometric sensors – technology that tracks physiological indicators of the user and automatically adjusts modes to improve the experience. For the last pair of years the trend is smart toys that are controlled from a mobile application remotely, independent of the distance of the partner, and the artificial intelligence seeks out the preferences of the user and adapts to them. – What challenges are facing the market for sex goods in Ukraine? How do you see the future of the sexual toys industry? – In Ukraine there is still a determined level of conservatism and stigmatization of theme of sexuality. This can limit the openness of people to discussing and purchasing these goods. Lack of sexual education also creates a lack of sexuality.barriers to understanding the benefits of sex toys for health and relationships. Although the sale ofsex productsinUkraineislegal,sometimesthere aredifficultieswithadvertising,asregulationinthisspheremaynotbeclear.Highcostofqualitysex toysmaybeunaffordableformanyUkrainiansbecause oflowpurchasingpowerofthepopulation. Thedestigmatizationofthe topicofsexuality,thegrowthofthepopularityofblogs,podcastsandeducationalplatformsaboutsexualhealthwillcontributetothat,thatthe topic ofsexualtoyswillbecomemoreacceptabletoawidecircleofpeople.Development ofofflineandonlinestores,improvementofserviceservicecustomizationcouldbecomethekeydriverofthegrowthofthemarket. Development ofsmarttoys,integration ofinnovativetechnologieswillmakeproductsmoreattractivetotechnologyorientedconsumers. The growth oflocalbrandsthatcanofferqualityandinterestingproductsatlowerpriceswillhelpsatisfydemand. Thesex marketinUkrainehasbigpotentialforgrowthinconditionsforovercomingculturalandeconomicbarriers.Innovation,educationanddigitalizationofbusinesswill be themaindriversofindustry development.