Wish have announced plans to dramatically expand its range of sexual wellness products through the launch of a dedicated Wish After Dark area on the Wish app and website that showcases some of the latest sexual wellness products on the market, at a wide range of price points.
As you’d expect from Wish, a marketplace known for it’s fun and discoverability, their marketing images for Wish After Dark are uniquely suggestive but enticing message.
The move comes in the wake of a new study that reveals a large proportion of sexually active adults in the UK are already using sexual wellness products (56%) , with Gen Z and Millennials leading the charge at 73% and 69%. Almost half expressed a desire to try new sexual wellness products within the coming year, with interest peaking among Generation Z (75%), followed closely by Millennials and the LGBTQ+ community (both 64%).
Among the array of sexual wellness products available, lubricants emerged as the top choice among Brits (used by 27%), followed by vibrators (23%), lingerie (19%) and oils and serums (10%). While vibrators appeared to be the product of choice among Millennials (used by 29%), lubricants were by far the winner for the younger generation, used by over a third (38%) of Gen Z-ers. Perhaps most surprisingly, Baby Boomers are using vibrators (15%) twice as much as lingerie (7%) to spice up their sex lives.
Sexually active Brits are gearing up to add extra excitement to their sex lives in the upcoming year, with plans to experiment with lingerie (13%), sensation toys (12%), games and kits, and lubricants (both 11%).
Other key findings of the study include:
- Importance of sexual wellness: Gen Z recognizes the importance of sexual wellness to their overall well-being, surpassing the average sentiment among sexually active Brits (68% vs. 52%).
- Sexual wellness as self-care: Three in five (63%) view sexual wellness as an essential form of self-care, highlighting its importance beyond physical pleasure. This climbs to 64% among Millennials and 68% within the LGBTQ+ community.
- Unmet desires: Despite recognizing the vital role of sexual well-being, a significant number (45%) expressed a desire to do more to nurture their sex lives, with Gen Z leading the way at 65%.
- Barriers to sexual wellness: Tiredness (30%), stress and anxiety (21%) and feeling unattractive (18%) stand out as the barriers to maintaining sexual wellness. Females, in particular, feel tired (34% vs 26% of males) and unattractive (26% vs. 11% of males) compared to their male counterparts.
- Affordability concerns: While most are happy with the variety and effectiveness of sexual wellness products on the market, only 20% are satisfied with the price, with differences observed among LGBTQ+ (29%) and heterosexual adults (18%).
What’s clear from these findings is that sexual wellness is increasingly being recognized as a vital component of our overall well-being. While many British adults are already using sexual wellness products and devices, there is a growing appetite to try new things, as people become more comfortable exploring their sexuality.
Affordability is key to improving the accessibility of sexual wellness products, which is why we’ve partnered with select merchants who can deliver a diverse selection of products at highly competitive prices.
– Mauricio Monico, Chief Product Officer, Wish
Customers can discreetly browse the new range of products by navigating to the ‘Wish After Dark’ area on the app or by visiting wish.com/adult.
Our customers want discretion when they are shopping for sexual wellness products, which is why we’ve created a unique Wish After Dark zone within the app and on the website. This is a category that is already popular on Wish, so we are hugely excited to be expanding it further.
– Mauricio Monico, Chief Product Officer, Wish
According to a market research study published by Zion Market Research in July 2023, the global sexual wellness market size was worth around USD 57.50 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 110.33 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8.49% during the forecast period (2023- 2030).
Earlier this year, Wish introduced flat rate shipping to customers in its major markets. The flat rate shipping fee is applied to all eligible items over £10, at no additional cost to merchants.
