经济衰退致英国性玩具走俏

The recession has led to a boost in the sales of sex toys as more and more couples opt for indoor fun with three-quarters of women in Britain now owning one.

Global sales of vibrators and other sex toys soared to £5.5billion-a-year and are to set to rise to £40billion by 2020 - matching those of smartphones.

But one town in Britain spends four times the national average - 62 pence per head - on erotic accessories according to analysis by an online sex shop.

Voted the best place to live in Britain in a poll by the Halifax bank, Fleet, in Hampshire, was top of the table for spending on sex toys.

According to The Sunday Times, it was closely followed by Didcot in Oxfordshire, Godalming in Surrey and Basingstoke in Hampshire.

Co-owner of Lovehoney Neal Slateford, a former record producer for Kylie Minogue, who carry out the survey, said celebrities opening up about their sex lives had been a key sales driver.

He said: 'A famous celebrity will give a big interview about their sex life or their love of sex toys and we will see a flurry of sales afterwards.

'It all started with Sex and the City - which was incredibly liberating for women, especially after Charlotte became a virtual recluse after buying a rabbit vibrator at New York's famous Pleasure Chest sex store.

'Suddenly ordinary women weren't afraid to talk about their sex lives and their use of sex toys.

'It's great that celebrities are being more honest about their sex lives. There has been such a huge change in people's attitudes over the last 10 years.

'Now mainstream retailers like Boots, Tesco and Superdrug sell sex toys.

'Take a walk down the pharmacy aisle and you'll see vibrating penis rings and bullet vibrators alongside the condoms.'

Channel 4 is reflecting the trend with an hour-long documentary on Tuesday night called 'More Sex Please, We're British' about the online sex toy retailer, Lovehoney.

经济衰退让越来越多的夫妇选择室内娱乐活动，致使性玩具的销量大增，如今英国四分之三的女性都拥有性玩具。

振颤器和其他性玩具在全球的年销售额暴涨到55亿英镑，而且预计在2020年将增加到400亿英镑，销售额直逼智能手机。

然而，根据一家情趣用品网店的分析数据，英国一个小镇的性玩具消费额是全国平均水平的四倍——平均每人在情趣用品上消费62便士。

英国汉普郡的弗里特在性玩具花费上高居榜首。弗里特曾在哈利法克斯银行的一项调查中被评为英国最佳居住地。

根据《星期日泰晤士报》，性玩具消费排名第二的是牛津郡的迪考特市，其后是萨里郡的戈达明市和汉普郡的贝辛斯托克市。

开展这一调查的Lovehoney成人用品公司的共同业主尼尔•斯雷特福德说，名人们开诚布公谈论自己的性生活是促使消费上涨的关键因素。斯雷特福德过去曾是明星凯莉•米洛的唱片制作人。

他说：“现在名人会做关于自己性生活的大型访谈或谈论自己对性玩具的喜爱，然后人们就会纷纷去购买性玩具。

“这一切都从《欲望都市》开始，这部剧对女性而言极具解放意义，剧中夏洛特从纽约著名的Pleasure Chest性用品商店买了一个“野兔振颤器”后，就成了一个实质上的遁世者，这一情节对人们的影响尤其大。

“突然间民间女子不再害怕谈论性生活和使用性玩具。

“名人对自己的性生活变得更加直言不讳，这很好。在过去十年里，人们的态度改变了太多。

“现在像博姿、特易购和超级药房这样的主流零售商也出售性玩具。

“走在药房过道里，你会看见避孕套旁边放着振动阴茎环和子弹头振颤器。”

英国第4频道在周二晚上有档节目叫“请给我更多的性爱，我们是英国人”，这部关于性玩具网上零售商Lovehoney的长达一小时的纪录片就反映了这一潮流。