Pornhub, known as “the premiere online destination for adult entertainment”, has just erected its first ever retail store in New York City for the holidays. The store will sell limited edition Pornhub clothing, gear and premium sex toys.
The porn shop, located in SoHo, Manhattan’s shopping district, is classified as a ‘pop-up store’ — this new trend in retailing is taking the industry by storm as the traditional brick-and-mortar stores fade into darkness. Pornhub’s most popular stars, including Asa Akira and Dani Daniels will open the store on Black Friday (today) and close down on December 20.
According to High Snobiety ,
During the opening, you’ll be invited to interact with a camera that submits a live feed straight to Pornhub.com. Across the entirety of the opening weekend, a limited release of reissued garments from Pornhub’s recently sold-out capsule collection with streetwear brand Richardson will again be available for purchase, as well as other branded Pornhub garments.
The store’s launch is in partnership with the Museum of Sex, making various products from the Museum’s gift shop, including Taschen books, specialty aphrodisiac apothecary herbs and sex games. For lucky attendees, some of Pornhub’s most popular porn stars will also be making appearances, including Dani Daniels and Asa Akira during opening weekend. The SoHo store will be open for one month beginning on Black Friday (November 24).
Pornhub? Vice President Corey Price said in a statement emailed to Retail Dive,
As an online brand, we’ve been limited to interacting with our fans on the site and through social media. As we continue to increase brand awareness, and expand into new verticals, like retail, we are looking for new ways to interact with our fans.
We thought it would be great to open up a store where fans can come check out the recent streetwear pieces we’ve collaborated on and some of our product lines. And what’s a better time to open up a new store than Black Friday? Now people can get gifts for friends, family and loved for the holidays!
Price’s latest vertical stunt through brick-and-mortar retailing appears to come at a time when the website’s growth is in free-fall. Retail Dive said “the space in New York is designed to simulate the look and feel of the Pornhub homepage” and perhaps it will generate enough hype to boost website growth.
Pornhub’s pop-up shop is not limited to the United States, as it will capitalize on an international expansion starting in Milan, Italy for the holiday season. Pornhub is ranked #21 in the Untied States and #38 internationally, according to Alexa.
Bottomline: The invasion of porn in American culture has hit a new high this holiday season as one of the world’s largest pornographic websites expands into the brick-and-mortar spaces in SoHo and Milan. Add porn to the long list of vices that are eating away at America’s declining middle class.