The FINANCIAL — Despite the fact that there are no actual sex shops in Georgia, interest in erotic products is high according to the administrators of new online sex shops.
The FINANCIAL — Despite the fact that there are no actual sex shops in Georgia, interest in erotic products is high according to the administrators of new online sex shops. As the sex-toy market is not at all developed in Georgia, people involved in this business are not planning to expand to opening actual stores yet.
There were several attempts to open sex shops in Georgia during the last twenty years of independence, but none of them remains working today. The last one located in the centre of Tbilisi was closed by Orthodox parishioners in the late ‘90s. The Orthodox Church, which is one of the most influential institutions in Georgia, unofficially hampers the existence of such shops in the country. This policy is widely supported by Georgian society in general as the subject is strictly tabooed. Georgian society is still in denial over the recent statistics which show that demand for condoms in Georgia has doubled.
In December 2012 Georgian MPs initiated amendments to the Administrative Code of Georgia restricting the sale of sex paraphernalia and condoms. A new amendment to the Administrative Code of Georgia proposes a ban of selling “sex toys” to all under-18s as well as to restrict the areas where such products may be sold. Stores that sell children’s clothing or toys will be fined GEL 100 if they sell sex toys as well. Sex-related objects and content also cannot be sold in areas close to schools, kindergartens or similar institutions.
Two new online sex shops started promotions on Facebook recently. The shops are open to Georgian customers and have at least 400 visitors per day and about 2,000 registered customers. This sort of online-based business is more protected since it has less direct contact with the actual people that are against them. It also keeps client confidentiality as the products purchased are shipped in special, discreet packaging.
Erotic products are mostly imported from China. Thousands of Laris of products are being sold by online sex shops in Georgia every month on average. The prices start from GEL 20 and go up to GEL 600 depending on the specific products. The Georgian administrators of these online sex shops say that men are more active in buying erotic products in Georgia than women are.
The world's first sex shop was opened in 1962 in West Germany and sex shops can now be found in many countries.
“The Georgian market is still not ready for the sale of erotic products,” said an administrator of cupidon.ge. “We decided to start this business in 2008 as there was no player on the market yet at that time. We saw there was demand on the market and guessed that it was time to start a business like this. The demand is still high but Georgian society is resistant to openly accepting such kinds of business. We have more than 2,000 customers registered on cupidon.ge. We import erotic products from China. They are of fair quality, confirmed by certificates from China, Germany and the United States. 65 percent of our customers are men and 35 percent are women,” he added.
“Online shopping is more comfortable when it comes to erotic products,” said an administrator of sexmarket.ge. “There are radical people in Georgian society who may come down hard on a real sex shop. That is why we are not going to open one despite the fact that demand is high. That being said however, we will make our products more diverse and offer all products that are available in high-quality American or European sex shops. Compared to European sex shops, prices here are lower which encourages Georgian customers not to order items from abroad but to shop on local websites. People tend to buy erotic products as presents for friends who are still single,” he added.
Sexologist and Head of Sexology Service at Enmedic Clinic, Professor Zurab Marshania explains that the erotic products sold by online sex shops also have curative purposes. “Condoms, vacuum apparatus, sex stimulators, lingerie, pornography and other similar products are good for treating sexual problems for men and women. Erotic products should be sold freely. Doctors often prescribe Viagra to patients as a cure for sexual problems. This medicine does not have any affect if a man is not excited. To get excited it is necessary to have visual stimulation, otherwise known as pornography. I often recommend to my patients that they use erotic products when they have erectile dysfunction, which is the most common form of sexual problem. Almost half of men between the ages of 25-55 encounter this problem which is most often caused by diabetes. I suppose that more women have sexual problems than men in Georgia. 30 percent of my patients are women but I think that their percentage rate should be at 60,” he added.
In Georgian jurisdiction, sex shops are regulated by law, with access not permitted to people under the age of 18. “Of course, we cannot provide absolute age control. But our courier does not allow people under 18 to receive the products they buy from cupidon.ge,” said the administrator.
The total amount of investment in the import of condoms increased from USD 308,700 to USD 547,500 in the nine months of 2012 compared to the same period of 2011. The number of imported condoms was 30 tons in the first three quarters of the last year, while in 2011 it was 14.5 tons.
Discussion about this post