My professional speciality is tax, and I like to keep up to date with business news accordingly. It is, to my mind, important to have an understanding of the issues facing the predominantly small and medium-sized enterprises I work with.
In my reading though, one trend appears to be emerging, in that those businesses at what one might delicately refer to as the raunchier end of the leisure market seem to be outperforming the economy as a whole. This week, Agent Provocateur announced that profits were up 8% , and last month, the Times reported on the increasing sales of sex toys. It seems that the British are turning to sex as a means of diverting their attention from the recession. This possibly presents us with an export opportunity, a far cry from the 'no sex, we're British' days gone by.
Of course, not everyone is responding to the recession in the same way. Whilst our transatlantic cousins are also reaching for lingerie and electric erotica, our neighbours across the Channel have rather lost the urge. Have the Anglo-Saxons given up banking and being sexually repressed just as the European social welfare model turns frigid?
I think we should be told...
Nice article :), I also heard that the condom business is booming in the US. But that must be caused by not wanting kids in these tough times. Although your reason could play a little part in it too.
ReplyDeleteTake care, Jay
Jay,
ReplyDeleteThanks for looking in, I'm guessing that it's mid-morning in Vancouver, one of Canada's loveliest cities.
You probably have a good point about the lack of desire to have children, although a lot of sex toys and exotic lingerie are meant to encourage sex, I guess! Besides, have you seen the prices of some of the items mentioned? Agent Provocateur don't come cheap...