Taboo Tabou was voted by Fox television as "The No. 1 Fetish Shop" in Chicagoland which simply proves that I’ve been underestimating the cultural acumen of Fox viewers.
Taboo Tabou is one of a chain of three stores that sell cigars, clothes and sex toys. It’s not a "dirty" store, the clerks will quickly point out. Most of the online chatter rating the shop agrees. Its generally described as a really fun clothing store that’s a bit overpriced. The sex toys aspect is almost an afterthought, more for fun than function, though the personal vibrator section gets rave reviews. It also stocks sensual toiletries and lots of batteries.
Owner Mark Thomas began his business in 1971. The Vietnam War was still raging. Jim Morrison was dead, and the Sexual Revolution was on its way. Thomas, at 17 years of age, cashed-in his $1725 college fund and the rest is history.
In addition to the brick and mortar store, popular with the college-crowd, you can shop online. Batteries, oils, lubes, & lotions, boy toys, sensual gifts, latex and supplements are available on the website.
What's Driving This Trend
- Rising Demand for Adult Toys
- With the increasing acceptance of adult toys, there is a growing demand for innovative and creative adult toys that can cater to diverse consumer preferences.
- Sex-positive Retail Environment
- There is a growing trend towards building sex-positive retail environments that create an inclusive and non-judgmental space for customers to explore their sexuality.
- Multi-category Retail Stores
- The rise of multi-category retail stores that cater to different customer needs and preferences provide a unique opportunity to cross-sell branded products across different categories.
Who This Affects Most
- Adult Toy Industry
- The adult toy industry can benefit by focusing on developing innovative and user-friendly products that cater to diverse customer preferences.
- Retail Industry
- There is a unique opportunity for retailers to create inclusive and non-judgmental retail environments that facilitate customer exploration and discovery.
- Marketing Industry
- The marketing industry can benefit by developing creative marketing strategies that can help attract and retain customers in the sex-positive retail segment.
