The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Song Joong-ki marries British woman, expects baby

  • 3

    K-pop releases for February

  • 5

    Koreans reluctant to unmask on first day of eased indoor mask rule

  • 7

    Stock-leveraged investments rise again amid bullish KOSPI

  • 9

    Itaewon music fest brings love to the healing process

  • 11

    TWICE becomes first K-pop group to win Billboard Women in Music award

  • 13

    SPC opens 120th Paris Baguette store in US

  • 15

    Busan seeks to take lead in expo race after BIE's April visit

  • 17

    Korea ranks 31st in international corruption perception index in 2022

  • 19

    US bill introduced to honor Korean War hero

  • 2

    Korean Lunar New Year vs. Chinese Lunar New Year

  • 4

    Over 76% of South Koreans support development of nuclear weapons

  • 6

    Base taxi fare to rise by 1,000 won to 4,800 won next month

  • 8

    INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise

  • 10

    Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun

  • 12

    ANALYSISPandemic awakens demand for data-driven automation

  • 14

    Hybe acquires 56.1 percent stake in AI sound startup Supertone

  • 16

    Most people masked up on 1st day of lifting of mandate rules

  • 18

    Retailers seek to bolster beauty product sales as lifting of mask mandate approaches

  • 20

    Biohealth geared for growth

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Wed, February 1, 2023 | 21:16
Retail & Food
'Sex toys' become Shinsegae's new cash cow
Posted : 2018-09-05 16:25
Updated : 2018-09-06 10:48
Park Jae-hyuk
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
An adult products section at Pierrot Shopping in Starfield COEX in Seoul. / Courtesy of E-mart
An adult products section at Pierrot Shopping in Starfield COEX in Seoul. / Courtesy of E-mart



By Park Jae-hyuk

Sex toys, which have long been regarded as taboo in the nation's business circles, have emerged as a new source of income for one of the country's largest conglomerates, Shinsegae Group, according to the retail giant, Wednesday.

In addition to Shinsegae's Pierrot Shopping that has sold adult products since its opening in June, the conglomerate's L'Escape Hotel has also sold "masturbators" to its guests since its opening in July.

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, the operator of L'Escape, said Tenga Korea, the local subsidiary of the Japanese masturbator maker, has supplied its EGG Series masturbators for men and Iroha vibrators for women to the boutique hotel, after packaging the products in boxes that read "love kit."

Industry officials said the hotel's service is unprecedented in Korea, although some hotels in Europe are equipped with such products.

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel said the sex toys are parts of 200 retail goods that L'Escape sells.

"The nation's hotel operators have recently begun coming up with various retail goods to offer distinctive services beyond room service," a Shinsegae Chosun Hotel spokeswoman said. "Selling the products such as these is a part of our strategy to show our distinguishing image to our customers."

However, the spokeswoman said her company does not count the sales of the Tenga's products at L'Escape.

On the contrary, E-mart, the operator of Pierrot Shopping, has aggressively promoted the success of the adult goods section at the store resembling Japan's Don Quijote, which deals in various products, including luxury goods, electronic appliances and sex toys.

The retailer said sales of adult goods at Pierrot Shopping in COEX in Seoul were 2.5 times higher than its initial sales goal during the month after its opening.

"Although its sales last month were slightly lower than they were in July due to the end of summer vacation, the section still attracts more customers than expected," an E-mart spokesman said.

Pierrot Shopping even sells "love dolls," which are modeled after women's bodies, as customers wanted more sensational products. The products made with silicon cost up to 10 million won ($8,900).

E-mart said the section is equipped with 1,800 types of adult goods, more than Japan's Don Quijote.

The company also said female customers who visit Pierrot Shopping with their female friends are the biggest buyers of adult goods, followed by female customers with their boyfriends and male customers with their male friends.

According to the discount chain, the second Pierrot Shopping store, which will open in Doota Mall in downtown Seoul today, will also sell adult goods, although the size of the adult goods section at the new store will be smaller than that of the first one.

Data compiled by Statista, a market research portal, showed the global adult goods market is expected to grow to $29 billion in 2020, from $20 billion in 2015. Although the market size of domestic adult products is uncertain, industry officials estimate it has amounted to 200 billion won.

In Korea, a growing number of business owners have begun opening adult shops resembling ordinary gift shops in open spaces, such as streets near Itaewon and Hongik University, so that people can visit them easily.


Emailpjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Korean Lunar New Year vs. Chinese Lunar New Year Korean Lunar New Year vs. Chinese Lunar New Year
2Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse
3US bill introduced to honor Korean War hero US bill introduced to honor Korean War hero
4South Korea, US to expand size and content of joint military drills South Korea, US to expand size and content of joint military drills
5Popular travel YouTuber recalls painful memories of being bullied at school Popular travel YouTuber recalls painful memories of being bullied at school
6Samsung refuses to cut chip output despite plunging profits Samsung refuses to cut chip output despite plunging profits
7Holy Moly concert series brings 4 punk bands to Haebangchon Holy Moly concert series brings 4 punk bands to Haebangchon
8IMF slashes Korea's 2023 economic growth outlook to 1.7% IMF slashes Korea's 2023 economic growth outlook to 1.7%
9Korean corporations' dividend payout system to follow global standards Korean corporations' dividend payout system to follow global standards
10Yoon urges private sector to use UAE's $30 bil. investment as stepping stone for 'Middle East boom' Yoon urges private sector to use UAE's $30 bil. investment as stepping stone for 'Middle East boom'
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Song Joong-ki marries British woman, expects baby Song Joong-ki marries British woman, expects baby
2K-pop releases for February K-pop releases for February
3[INTERVIEW] Production company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise INTERVIEWProduction company AStory expects great success with 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' franchise
4Itaewon music fest brings love to the healing process Itaewon music fest brings love to the healing process
5Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun Cute canine film 'My Heart Puppy' reunites Yoo Yeon-seok, Cha Tae-hyun
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group