January 28, 2023 9.00 am This story is over 24 months old

Lincoln A57 sex shop “breaking down barriers” to give the industry a “better reputation”

Bondage products are popular at the shop

A sex shop on the A57 near Lincoln is trying to give the industry a better reputation as it continues to experience a rise in demand.

Pulse & Cocktails have 18 shops, including three in Lincolnshire – Saxilby, Grantham and Scunthorpe – and the customer base has evolved over the years and has included a polyamorous relationship of nine people (four women and five men).

Kate English, Store Manager at Lincoln and Scunthorpe, told The Lincolnite that people often expect that a sex shop is “seedy” and will have a “poky, dark, grim interior”, but once they walk in they are greeted with “welcoming staff here to help” for “more of an open minded shopping experience rather than just a sex shop”.

Some customers are less worried and just come straight into the shop, while others do “laps of the car park” while they wait for it to be quieter.

Kate added that anal toys are one of the most popular sections, while the shop also sells a lot of lingerie, while Lincoln is among the stores with the most customers interested in bondage products.

Pulse & Cocktails is located on Gainsborough Road in Saxilby near Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lingerie is also very popular at the shop near Lincoln. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

She said: “When the shops were closed during the COVID lockdown our website was off the charts. Since then we have had a lot of new customers as the interest in this has gone through the roof.

“Part of the reason we have more customers recently compared to the first five years is because the reputation of the industry, and the shops, is changing to something more accessible. People don’t feel threatened by the industry and feel more comfortable.”

“People’s attitudes have changed. For a long time people were embarrassed by going into the sex shop and bought online. We have tried to normalise it as if you are going to any shop, like Primark. We want people to be able to have an open conversation without being judged.

“Brits are notorious for being uptight about this sort of stuff, but we will try and break down the barriers by continuing to provide the best customer service.”

Take a look inside. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Customers can either browse at their own leisure, or the staff in store can personalise the shopping experience and walk round and explain everything, and “help them understand and make an informed decision”.

As well as trying to break down barriers to make it a more comfortable and accessible experience for customers, Kate said the shop has also helped to fix relationships with bedroom issues over the years, which is “rewarding”.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Kate recalled an author and spiritualist who visited shortly after the shop reopened from the coronavirus lockdowns, and spoke to her about healing crystals before buying products.

A polyamorous relationship of nine people has “been back a couple of times” with Kate saying: “It was fun and we talked about all sort of things and they bought several products.”

Pulse & Cocktails on Gainsborough Road in Saxilby is open seven days a week – Monday to Friday (10am-7pm), Saturdays (10am-6pm), and Sundays (11am-5pm).

See more of our photo gallery below:

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite


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