SCALA is an international distributor of erotic goods and a full-service provider for our B2B customers. Since 1971 SCALA has built a solid, trustworthy name in the erotic industry. SCALA is your one-stop shop for everything erotic. They offer an extensive assortment of brands, focused on toys, drugstores and lingerie.
What can you tell our readers about SCALA?
SCALA is the one-stop-shop for everything erotic. We are an international distributor of erotic goods and a proud full-service provider for our B2B customers. Our company offers an extensive assortment of brands, focusing on intimate health, drugstore, pleasure toys, and lingerie. The high level of diversity and inclusion of big brands and smaller, niche names ensures we can cater to all demands; allowing us to serve retailers, wholesalers, mail orders, and online marketplaces.
With almost 50 years of experience in the erotic industry, SCALA is a solid, trustworthy name in international distribution.
Can you explain a little bit more about SCALA one-stop-shop service?
Our assortment includes intimate health, drugstore, toys and lingerie. Due to the diversity and inclusions of big and smaller brands, we ensure to cater to all demands. Allowing our customers to shop at SCALA for everything erotic.
What do you think makes SCALA different from other sex-toy shops?
We’re continuously growing, expanding our activities and adding more exclusive brands to our portfolio. The (semi)exclusive distribution agreements with big-name brands like CalExotics, Pipedream Products, PRIVATE, We-Vibe, JOPEN, Dolce Piccante and Happy Diva give our customers direct access to the hottest products on the market. Also, the brands Mae B, Hidden Desire, Stimul8 S8, SteelPowerTools and TOYJOY are exclusively available at SCALA. This January we will add a new sexy exclusive lingerie brand to our assortment: Daring Intimates, which includes sexy panties and provocative crotchless panties at an accessible price point.
At SCALA we think it is important that each price range has excellent quality. Our main focus is to have high-quality items of all price ranges in our assortment.
I love that there are so many specific sections on the site for people based on what they need. What was the thinking behind those distinct sections, and how important was it for you to find a range of toys for diverse experiences?
To be the one-stop shop for everything erotic, you have to cover all different kinds of product groups. In the past year, we found gaps in different product groups. The corona pandemic saved a lot of travel time, which gave us the opportunity to find those gaps. Of course, we converted these to opportunities. We have planned some major launches in 2021! Furthermore, our customers have a lot of different target groups, so we want to cover all those different target groups. This way we can be the one-stop shop for all retailers.
How do you find the male/female divide when it comes to sex toys, do you have a stronger client base in either gender?
The previous years have been very female and couple focussed, with non-intimidating and abstract designs flooding the market. Though the demand for female pleasure providers and couples toys is still going strong, we’ve also noticed a slight shift in focus towards new male-centered prospects. This is why we expect male toy categories to (re)gain popularity in the coming years, with new gadgets, like the world’s first Pleasure Air Stroker; Arcwave Ion, ultra-realistic love dolls (such as the new Banger Babes by Hidden Desire), and more automated strokers and masturbators to be released by big-name-brands, like Pipedream Products and PRIVATE.
What are some tips you would give to someone shopping for sex toys?
Just try things, start with products that not frightened you. And you can ‘build’ your way up. If sex toys scare you, look for intimate health products to get used to the idea of using products.
Do you have any favorite sex toys you recommend for beginners?
I think there are many great beginner toys. If you are looking for clitoral stimulation, but you aren’t sure what feels good for you, start at a low-price range. If you don’t like it, you can try something else, without spending all your money. A perfect toy is Shine by ROMP. Shine by ROMP is an easy-to-use clitoral stimulator, featuring the unique Pleasure Air Technology by Womanizer. This stimulates the clitoris with subtle changes in air pressure and 10 intensity levels – and helps you explore new orgasmic pleasure.
If you are looking for all different kinds of stimulation and something fun, take a look at the Naughty Bits collection of CalExotics! If you want something more like the real deal, you have to explore the Get Real collection by TOYJOY! Also, if you are trying something new as a couple, I recommend the ICON II of the Designer Collection of TOYJOY.
I think it’s really important to foster a culture where people are unashamed to ask where their toys come from and demand a level of quality. Do you think the sex toy industry will become more regulated?
Due to social media and the more open-minded attitude, the use of pleasure toys is less taboo. Of course, many people still get nervous or don’t want to talk about it. But let’s face the fact that everybody has sex, and many people masturbate. It’s not only for pleasure but also for mental and physical health. You can see the growing demand, not only for pleasure products, but also in podcasts, sexual educators, reviewers, and influencers are promoting it more often. I think we are less ashamed of our sexual preference, and that is a very good thing! By talking about it, it becomes normal to everybody.
Customer service and fast delivery are essential nowadays, but equally important is communication with the customer. Which channels do you use to stay in touch with your customer base?
We do many things to keep in touch with our customers.
- To provide a great overview of everything on offer, including the newest realese, we produce a B2B publication: PLAY Magazine. This magazine is send out every 2 months to all our customers.
- To offer our customer a quality digital portal to everything SCALA offers, we’ve created a user-friendly website that caters exactly to B2B-retailers’ needs.
- We send oud weekly-newsletters and have an up-to-date newspage on our website
- We’re also trying keep our customers in the loop via social media, like Twitter (@scalaplayhouse) and Instagram (@scala.erotic)
- Our SCALA team, including Account managers, is multi-lingual, with native speakers and representatives available for English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian. They are here to help our customers succeed!
- The SCALA Experience Center in Wijchen, the Netherlands, is perfct for trainings, sales presentations, work-shops and more. This location allows us to combine our own knowledge with that of our partners: creating an invironment to learn, get feedback for our in-house team and our customers. Retailers can make an appointment to visit our Experience Center by contacting us via sales@scala-nl.com
- SCALA’s In-House Experience Event. SCALA offer once a year an Exerpeince Event for all our customers. The event offers a full day program of outbalanced masterclasses an trainings, a facility tour, a meeting with her accountmanager and a network dinner.
- Attending the yearly EroFame fair in October. This is a place we meet and greet our customers.
Unfortunately due to COVID-19 the SCALA’s In-House Experience Event and EroFame were canceled in 2020. But we took these challenges and turned them into new digital opportunities. We can arrange meetings via Zoom, Tems, Skype, Facetime: whichever is easiest for our customer. We arrange Live sales training for our customers and their staff, Digital brand training, Extra POS options and Virtual Showroom tours for store inspiration.
How currently does the time of covid-19 have an impact on your sales and development?
At first, we noticed an impact, think everybody got scared. Also, many of our customers had to close their store during the lockdown. But after two weeks we already saw a trend in internet sales.
On the internet, consumers are more price-conscious. Internet sales are made without personal tips and advice from the seller, also they can’t see and feel the product in real life. So, they are more focused on price. Consumers are looking for a great price-quality ratio, just like the Gold Dickers by TOYJOY and ROMP Pleasure Air items, which are made from high-quality materials but sold at an affordable price.
Or when it comes to higher prices the consumers expecting innovative products, like the Arcwave and the MyPod by CalExotics.
Like we said before, at SCALA we think it is important that each price range has excellent quality. Our main focus is to have high-quality items of all price ranges in our assortment. Because high-quality pleasure products should be available for everyone.
What the 2021 year will bring to SCALA?
In 2020 SCALA started to focus on durability and sustainability, which is a major point of improvement for the entire industry. SCALA will definitely contribute to this, by using durable materials, such as 100% silicone, or by using plastic-free or recycled packaging.
In 2021 we will be celebrating SCALA’s 50th anniversary! All our customers will profit from this. For now, we won’t reveal more. Keep an eye out for more updates about this surprise!
Find SCALA on Twitter and Instagram
*Please note, we are an international distributor. Consumers cannot order directly from us. Our customers are online shops, drop shippers, and retailers.