Lovehoney

Last updated
Lovehoney
IndustryRetail [1]
Founded2002
FounderRichard Longhurst and Neal Slateford
Subsidiaries Womanizer
Website https://www.lovehoney.co.uk/

Lovehoney is a British business that sells sex toys, lingerie and erotic gifts on the Internet. Their tagline is "the sexual happiness people". In addition to retailing, Lovehoney has more than 400 own brand products and does development and publicity. In 2014 the company was the focus of a television show entitled Frisky Business, which looked at their day-to-day operations. [2]

Contents

Background

Lovehoney was founded in Bath, Somerset in 2002 by Richard Longhurst (former editor of .net magazine and PC Format ) and Neal Slateford (former member of DNA). The company employs 230 people in the area, and is an official UK distributor of Durex products. [3] In 2009–10, Lovehoney had a turnover of £10.4 million and profits of £1.5 million [4] In 2010–11, it had a turnover of £13.4 million, and in 2011–12, it had a turnover of £16 million. In 2020–21, the turnover was £87.3 million.

History

Lovehoney launched its online store in 2002, operating from Richard Longhurst's bedroom. The next year Lovehoney moved into a small warehouse, and became a limited company.[ citation needed ] Lovehoney developed its first product in 2005, a music-activated vibrator called iBuzz.[ citation needed ]

In 2007, Lovehoney launched the world's first sex toy recycling scheme, called Rabbit Amnesty.[ citation needed ] In 2009, Lovehoney announced the first Lovehoney Design A Sex Toy Competition. The winner of that competition was Trevor Murphy with the Sqweel Oral Sex Simulator. The Lovehoney Sqweel Oral Sex Simulator is the bestselling oral sex simulation sex toy in the world. Lovehoney USA was launched to sell Lovehoney own brand products wholesale to the United States.[ citation needed ]

In 2011, Lovehoney expanded its warehouse and workforce [4] and the company is rebranded, with the cartoon mascot "Honey" being dropped and the tagline "the sexual happiness people" adopted. Lovehoney was featured in a Channel 4 documentary titled More Sex Please, We're British in 2012. [5] Also in 2012, Lovehoney secured exclusive world rights outside the Americas to design, manufacture and sell products based on the Fifty Shades trilogy by E. L. James. [6] In 2013, a Lovehoney advert was the first to say "sex toys" on British television. [7]

Lovehoney released the television show Frisky Business in 2014. [8] Lovehoney purchased a majority stake in Alan Frei's company Amorana in 2020. [9] In 2021, Lovehoney received The Queen's Award for Enterprise. [10] Also in 2021, Lovehoney underwent a merger with WOW Tech to become Lovehoney Group, [11] and was later featured in Channel 4's Christmas-themed documentary titled Naughty & Nice: Sex Toy Britain. [12]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "UK Gov Companies House". UK Gov Companies House.
  2. ↑ "Frozen vibrators and gold-plated sex toys – the UK's naughtiest office hits our screens". Western Daily Press. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Online adult store LoveHoney extends into wholesale with Durex deal". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Another good year for Lovehoney". The Bath Chronicle. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  5. ↑ "More Sex Please, We're British". Channel 4. 28 April 2012. Archived from the original on 13 March 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  6. ↑ "Rise in demand boosts Lovehoney". Insider Media. 7 January 2013. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  7. ↑ 'Happy Talk' Lovehoney's Ground-Breaking TV Ad Campaign, 20 November 2013, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, retrieved 18 November 2015
  8. ↑ Goldfingle, Gemma. "Lovehoney to turn on viewers with new TV series Frisky Business". RetailWeek. EMAP Publishing Limited. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Bartholomew, Rafe (5 December 2025). "The Philippines, a nation without winters, might make the Olympics in curling". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  10. ↑ Abraham, Ellie (April 2021). "Sex toy brand given royal approval with Queen's Award". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Edelson, Sharon (August 2021). "Wow Tech And Lovehoney Becomes World's Largest Sexual Wellness Company With $1.2 Billion Merger". Forbes.
  12. ↑ Channel 4. "Naughty & Nice: Sex Toy Britain". Channel 4. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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