Sales of adult fun toys nearly doubled in Northland's Kaikohe, retailer reveals

A total of 844 items were purchased in Kaikohe this year. Photo / Tania Whyte

A Northland town has put self-care and sexual wellness at the forefront of 2021 after increasing sex toy purchases by 46 per cent this year.

New Zealand's biggest online adult retailer, Adulttoymegastore, has revealed that Kaikohe saw the largest percentage increase in sex toy sales nationally followed by Lincoln in Canterbury (41 per cent) and Warkworth (37 per cent).

Kaikohe residents purchased 844 items from the online retailer with 89 per cent of customers being first-time buyers.

People in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington bought the most sex toys while Whangārei ranks 10th place in sales per item.

The popular Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation from the United States was crowned the most popular sex toy for the third consecutive year, with Kiwi brand Share Satisfaction ranking second.

"Overall, the top 10 toys for 2021 includes a nice variety, and we commend New Zealanders for a big year of sexual experimentation and utilising the tools available to them to help take care of their sexual wellbeing, particularly while we were locked down in our bubbles," Nicola Relph, Adulttoymegastore's owner, said.

Local business owner Emily Rogers who launched a sex-toy franchise branch in August this year said the uptake has been surprisingly successful.

"I didn't expect it to be such a huge hit within four to five months."

Rogers holds women-only events where she introduces various sexual wellness products and toys which give clients a chance to physically see and hold items.

"Kaikohe is a pretty small place. There is no place here to purchase these kinds of products. We have to go Whangārei or Auckland if we want to see the actual item or we have to purchase them online."

Rogers said the sex toy parties were at an introduction level and provide women with the time and space to talk freely about sexuality.

Products for couples which could rekindle passion in the relationship were popular.

"It's just something different to do and an excuse for people to socialise," Rogers explained the popularity of her sex-toy parties.

She also put the increased sales of sexual wellness items down to the recent lockdown.