I run a sex toy business in Nepal. You heard that right, I help people buy sex toys in Nepal. It has merely been 7 months since I started the business, and market penetration is good and our consumer base is growing. I’ll come back to that part a bit later.
We’re not Saudi Arabia, but talking about sex is still taboo in Nepal. And sex toys aren’t the kind of item you’d like to show off to your guests at a kitty party.
That is why when we first ordered the product from the US, even after all the planning and market research, we were ready for surprises. Our first surprise? A call from the customs officer at the TIA. He said he wanted to talk to us about the ‘shipment’ we had just received.
We had all the paperwork in place and done all the research regarding the legality of the products but in the end “Yo Nepal ho!”. The customs officer gave us a long lesson on morality. I think he mentioned women trafficking somewhere. Luckily, he let us go after he had nothing to pin on us. We even gave him a few free samples.
Who am I?
I am the founder of IMbesharam Nepal, an exclusive franchise of the of the brand IMbesharam. We pride ourselves in being the first international adult lifestyle franchise in Nepal.
We bring in high quality products from US, which includes very interesting products meant to enhance the private aspects of your life.
So, do we sell?
You might wonder that sex sells like hot cake, yes it does sell, I can tell you from first-hand experience, but just not like a hot cake yet.
It’s been a good start for us, and in the 7 months since our kick off, we’ve had some amazing experiences.
What we really sell
We don’t just sell sex toys!
We share sexual pleasure. We sell an experience. We sell our customer’s right to not reveal their identity. We sell the fact that the delivery guy has no idea what product he is delivering and to whom.
The marketing challenges
Considering the nature of the product, we risk being penalized for any form of paid promotion of our brand at all in any social media platforms.
The affiliations and partnership opportunities are also very limited as sex toys are quite literally a lot like our genitals, they cannot be displayed in public. We had to find newer and innovative ways to reach our audience.
One extremely successful strategy was advertising on the popular porn website pornhub.com. Having Sunny Leone as the face of our brand has been a huge help.
The analytics was beyond interesting: turns out the average Nepali office has a lot of action going on in the bathrooms (a lot of ad impressions were recorded during office hours). Just try to avoid that thought when you shake hands with someone who’s just come out of the bathroom midday.
More than just a business
We don’t talk enough about some very important issues in Nepal and sexual health is right up there when it comes to unaddressed issues.
In partnership with Marie Stopes International Nepal, we are working together with programs such as NewlyWeds and Rockets and Space. We will be in co-operation to help people understand sexual health issues and will be jointly promoting some of the key unaddressed issues in sexual health.
Unique challenges
The adult retail industry is a unique one. It defies all the theories and social constructs we had learnt since our childhood.
While most startups rely on word of mouth in the initial stages, we’ve had to ‘demarket’ ourselves to a certain extent. If people knew our identity, they would be anal about buying our products.
Also, the market is flooded with cheap products that are made of low-quality material. We brought in the real stuff made of high-quality material. Our products are directly shipped from the USA, but sell at a premium price.
Educating the consumers hasn’t been too easy either, but we are trying. We run a blog where we educate our users on topics related to sex and share tips from experts. If you want to stay in touch, follow our blog at https://np.imbesharam.com/blogs/imblog
So how can I order?
Just visit imbesharam.com to check out our wide range of sex toys. If you are visiting from Nepal, you will automatically be redirected to the Nepali version of the site. You can also call us or send us an email.
If you are outside Nepal and trying to buy it as a gift, visit https://np.imbesharam.com/and place your order with full privacy.
Final words
Many of my friends take my work lightly but I believe that my work is important. Not everybody has the same level of sexual desire. This difference can create tensions in a marriage and our products help relieve some of that tension.
As you get older your sexual capacity decreases and our products can be of great help.
Sex toys are a great way for singles to explore and understand their sexuality safely.
As a country based on remittance, there are thousands of distant couples who can use our products to keep the fire alive. We can’t promise the intimacy of a loved one, but for divorcees, we offer a way out of sexual loneliness.
If you are in that situation where you are not sexually satisfied, please consider ordering one of our products. We will deliver it as per your convenience while maintaining full privacy.
If you live with just your spouse, it would be wise to have a conversation with them about trying out something that helps reduce the friction between the two of you. If done in consensus, there is no harm in using a tool. Remember, there was a time when condoms were taboo.
If you are in a joint family, make sure you plan a hiding place for your little friend. Nobody is going to confuse it for a fidget spinner if they find it. 😉
