Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

British People Don't Spend Money on their Sex Lives!

In response to the news that Ann Summers has seen profits drop by half in the last year, and that Playboy has opened a mega-store on Oxford Street this week, Erotica asked YouGov to find out how much money we UK citizens spend on making ourselves feel sexy. The survey has discovered that half (52%) of British people spend nothing on their sex lives.

The questions asked how much per year participants spent on things like sexy underwear, toys, DVDs, books etc. The results show that half (52%) of Britons spent nothing at all (not even condoms or sexy underwear), and 21% spend £25 a year or less. However some of us buck the trend; 1% of 18-24 year-olds spend over £2k a year – that’s 60,000 people!

Chief Executive Officer of Erotica Richard Thomson said “If you ask, most people will say that sex is one of the most important parts of their lives; yet they don’t spend money making it more fun. It is more acceptable than ever for women to use porn, there are more sexy underwear shops than ever and the internet has made it less embarrassing to indulge yourself.”

He added “I’m really surprised by the results - Erotica ticket sales are already up from last year. We were expecting that people were spending more than ever, and that perhaps Ann Summers’ profits have dropped because of a plethora of outlets to buy from these days, but that’s just not the case.”

As a result of this Erotica has done its own survey on its website, www.erotica-uk.com, and has, perhaps unsurprisingly, found that the people who are interested in the Erotica brand spend differently. Of 500 people sampled, 30% spend over £200 a year. And 5% spend over £1000 a year.

And the 80,000 people who attend the Erotica Show clearly do believe sex is worth splashing the cash for, as the average attendee spends £250 at the show. Thomson commented that “The environment at Erotica is such that people have great fun, and realise there are a huge variety of ways to enjoy sex more. We have everything - from performances by Dita Von Teese to swinging holidays, and the people who come have a great laugh and go away with lots of ideas to spice up their love life.”

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY TO THE SHOW GET IN TOUCH!

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Erotica 2007

Erotica is the world’s largest lifestyle show for freethinking adults who are comfortable with their sexuality and runs from November 23rd-25th 2007. Last year the show had over 250 exhibitors, 82,000 visitors (60:40 ratio of women to men) and all-day stage shows, art galleries and models. Dita Von Teese will be performing at the show this year, showcasing three different routines.

Erotica is all embracing and promotes a safe and respectful approach to sex while encouraging visitors to introduce more fun, intimacy and spice into their love lives.

Tickets range from £17 to £22, memberships start at £25 a year, and are available on
01708 768 000 or online. For more info: www.erotica-uk.com

Call Sam Espensen, James Holmes Amy Lawson or Julia Nightingale at Limelight PR for press info: 0207 821 9210 – sam@limelightpr.co.uk or james@limelightpr.co.uk.

STATISTICS

Percent of population – i.e 60,000 spend over £2K a year – based on UK population being nearly 61 million - www.statistics.gov.uk
All other figures are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,049 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th - 28th August 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).