Dunedin’s longest-running sex shop is shutting its doors after more than 50 years in business, with its owners citing changing family priorities rather than declining demand.
Cupid Shop, which has traded in the South Island city since the early 1970s, will close its retail store but continue online sales.
Co-owners Tyler and Jenna Lapham said the decision followed the birth of their first child Harper and a shift in focus.
“We had our first child just over a year ago, and we’ve reassessed our lives,” Tyler said.
“I’m starting a new accounting firm, and we realised we’d be stretched too thin trying to run two businesses and raise her the way we want. So we’re closing the retail side and keeping things online.”
Tyler said the move marked a major transition.
“When Jenna took over the business five years ago, she intended it to be her career. But priorities change. It becomes less about the job you love and more about the people you love.”
Jenna said running the store had been a joy, and she and Tyler took pride in helping people maintain healthy and happy relationships.
“I was in hospitality for a long while, and anyone that works in the hospitality industry knows how brutal the hours and the people and the work can be,” she said.
“This was almost like a breath of fresh air, and with the industry no one comes in here sad or mad, I don’t really have many bad customers.
“They’re all happy because, probably because of the different things they buy. It’s always a laugh. Secret Santa shopping was always one of my favourites.”
Tyler said he valued helping people find what they enjoy.
“We help relationships. Instead of things getting stale, we give people ways to spice it up. Maybe some think it’s taboo, but really we’re here to bring more happiness,” Tyler said.
“Sex is part of a healthy lifestyle – it releases serotonin, makes your skin clearer, reduces stress. It’s good for you."
Company director Lesley Lapham said the business had changed perceptions since she started working there in the 1970s.
“When I first came in, I thought it would just be dirty old men. That’s a fallacy – half our customers are women. Doctors even send patients here for things like pumps.”
For Tyler, the shop was also an intrinsic part of his upbringing – one that brought bemusement and interest to his schoolmates.
“Everyone at school knew what my parents did. You can imagine the conversations when you’re 13,” he said.
“I’d come here after school, do my homework in the office, and sometimes bump into people I knew. It was normal, everything in our lives revolved around the shop. Major milestones, dinners, sport, it all started here.”
Cupid Shop’s roots date back to the early 1970s, when it was founded as Yvonne Maxwell Ltd.
Lesley’s late husband Carl took over soon afterwards and later ran the business from Queen’s Gardens before relocating to the current location on Princess St, where Cupid Shop has traded for the past 30 years.
“The kids basically grew up behind the counter. This shop was our life,” Lesley said.
Carl died four years ago, and Lesley, Tyler, and Jenna continued the business until now.
Lesley said customers were accustomed to the family environment.
“We had a baby gate across the counter, a lounge out back, and a mezzanine upstairs where the kids and their friends played PlayStation. The customers were used to it, this shop was our life.”
Cupid Shop built a loyal clientele across generations.
Some customers have been visiting for more than 30 years, with Lesley having become acquainted with many regulars over the decades.
“Some even have her personal number, because they don’t like buying online. She’d drop things off at their homes. That personal connection really mattered,” Tyler said.
The customer base has always been broad.
“We’d see people as young as 18 and as old as 80. In-store it’s mostly 35-plus, but online you see younger people. Some still come in for a laugh, have a look, then buy online later.”
Despite the dominance of streaming, DVDs remained a mainstay of Cupid Shop’s sales.
“Surprisingly, DVDs still make up about 50% of our revenue,” Tyler said.
“We always thought people would just go online, but some don’t want that. Businessmen, parents who don’t want kids finding their browsing history, they prefer DVDs.”
For years the shop even carried VHS tapes.
“My dad liked living in the dinosaur age. We kept VHS around for the handful of customers who never made the jump to DVDs. Some even saw them as collectibles.”
Tyler said the family took pride in closing on their own terms.
“It’s bittersweet. But it’s good that we’re closing not because the shop failed, but because we’re starting a new chapter. It feels like the right time.”
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.