The layout that gave Buenos Aires its iconic appearance as a classic city was swept away by the pandemic. And among the most striking changes, the appearance of bars on the go, mini markets and the almost desolation of the downtown, There was an area that came to the fore, displaying its windows with total pride: sex shops. What was previously only found in the most inhospitable galleries, almost illegally, today appears in luxury spaces that welcome all types of audiences, as long as they are of legal age. In recent years, two curiosities have occurred: A firm in the sector arrived at the Alto Palermo shopping center and another was considered the best adult store in the world, an award given by XBIZ Europa Awards 2024.
Consulted by NEWS, Miguel Ángel Huarteowner of the hegemonic brand Buttmantheorizes: “There was a paradigm shift, the industry was evolving. It started in the late 90s as a ‘porn shop’ and 80 percent of the products we offered were conditional films, rented entirely by men. When all that material went to the Internet, the store became a ‘sex shop’ with 60 percent erotic toys and 40 percent DVDs. But the space was already conditioned for a female audience.”
Self-satisfaction. A hinge in the adult products segment was the pandemic and the impossibility of being in contact with couples who did not live in the same house. “In the last five years there has been a naturalization of sexuality and pleasure that has a lot to do with the cultural deconstruction that people are experiencing today. And the pandemic contributed to this deepening because the confinement made it necessary to explore one’s own body more time and carefully,” says the psychologist and sexologist. Mariana Kersz. For his part, Huarte explains: “The pandemic made the industry explode because people began to be locked up with themselves and realized that sexuality was something essential. As a result of that boost, sales increased by 300 percent.” Within that delivery universe that sought to satisfy the loneliness of souls, the best-selling products were air wave stimulators (suckers) and traditional vibrators.
After the mandatory confinement and with the openness to contact in all its splendor, sex shops, today also called “sexual pleasure shops”, were forced to satisfy greater demand and offer new possibilities. Among the changes in thinking, we went from a female and male audience to dividing them between consumers with a vulva and a penis, because there is a gender diversity that leads to this concept as the most precise and correct. Kersz adds: “Before, sex shops all had sex toys linked to hetero penetration and everything else was frowned upon.”and was even hidden inside the sex shop itself. It was the clandestine of the clandestine. Today that no longer exists and the products satisfy the needs of all genders.”
Premium sex. Another impact that boosted the sexual sector and motivated several entrepreneurs to set up their own stores was the award for Best Sex Shop in the World that the Palermo location received. Erotique Pink on the part of XBIZ Europe Awards 2024considering it a space that combines the sale of products, with workshops, art and even wine tasting. For its owner, the journalist and businesswoman Francesca Gnecciit was a dream come true. In a note with La Nación he was proud: “My goal was never to set up a place to sell products, but to generate more freedom in sexuality, get rid of taboos and spread education in this field.” Located at Nicaragua 5539, in the heart of Palermo Hollywood, Erotique Pink presents itself more as an art loft with erotic overtones than as a plain sex shop.
Another point that attracts more and more women is the Erotique Pink school of eroticism, in which all types of courses aimed at sexual pleasure are taught. It is worth clarifying that the audience is not limited to women, but rather targets the entire adult community, even people with disabilities. One of its instructors assures: “In all our classes we encourage communication, consent and respect for the body of the other or others, since in many cases there is interaction with more than one person.”
