Starting an online store has many advantages. You don’t need to rent a physical space, you don’t have to hire staff to oversee the shop, and you can accept orders 24 hours a day without interruption.
It’s a great way to generate extra income as a side business or to expand your customer base and revenue if you already run a physical store.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to start your very own sex toy store online.
1. Define Your Niche and Target Customers
First, you need to clarify your positioning. What do you want to sell? There are many categories of sex toys to choose from, such as toys for men, toys for women, dildos, vibrators, and more.
Will you sell a full range or focus on a specific category?
Next, who do you want to sell to? Men, women, couples, or all of them?
Finally, what will your brand style be? Will it be warm and cozy, romantic, or bold and edgy?
Suppose you’re new to the adult toy industry and starting with a vague idea.
If so, you might not be very familiar with the products—for example, you might not know which toys are currently trending or are considered timeless classics.
Then, talk to us. CNBlueRabbit has specially prepared Start Kits for newcomers.
These kits are filled with carefully selected products that meet the following criteria：
- Bestsellers, classics, or feature-strong designs
- Good quality with positive feedback
- Wide variety
- Reasonable pricing
These curated catalogs can help you familiarize yourself with different sex toy products and learn more about your store’s offerings.
To explore the sex toy market further, check out: An Overview of the Global Sex Toys Market.
2. Find a Reliable Supplier or Manufacturer
Once you’ve decided what you want to sell, the next step is to find a trustworthy supplier or manufacturer.
If you only want to focus on one type of product—like dildos—you can start by looking for specialized dildo factories. This way, you may get better pricing directly from the source.
If you plan to offer a wide product range, you can find manufacturers for each category or partner with a full-range supplier.
Several ways to evaluate whether a supplier is reliable include checking their industry experience, client base, feedback and reviews, factory visits, and product samples.
CNBlueRabbit owns its factory and works with multiple other sex toy manufacturers. Thus, we can offer a complete product range while ensuring consistent quality and pricing.
You are welcome to visit our factory in person to see how sex toys are made and to learn more about our scale and capabilities.
Since our founding in 2020, we have served clients from multiple countries, many of whom place recurring orders—some monthly, others annually. We have a high return rate and intense customer satisfaction.
We also offer free samples. We gladly provide free samples of specific products upon request so you can experience the quality firsthand before deciding.
3. Choose Your Platform
You’ll need to choose a suitable platform when starting an online store. Currently, the two main options are independent websites and e-commerce platforms.
Independent Website
You can use platforms like Shopify or WordPress to build your site. Independent sites give you complete control over your brand identity, domain name, website design, and customer experience.
Compared to marketplaces, independent websites require more effort to generate traffic, so some level of marketing and site management skills will be helpful.
E-commerce Marketplaces
You can also use platforms like Alibaba, Amazon, or eBay. For more options, see Top 10 E-commerce Marketplaces for Adult Sex Toys in 2024.
Marketplaces offer built-in traffic, platform credibility, and easy-to-use systems. You can start your sex toy business simply by registering an account.
These platforms provide complete transaction systems, secure payment gateways, and a base of potential customers and trust—making it quick and easy to get started.
Here, we’ve only briefly introduced the differences and pros and cons between the two. For more details, check out：
Independent Website vs E-commerce Platform: How to Choose for Your Sex Toys Business
4. Handle Store Setup Tasks
After choosing your platform, you’ll need to complete several setup steps, such as selecting a server, integrating a payment system, and deciding on your website style.
This process is usually simple and beginner-friendly if you’re using a marketplace.
However, for independent websites, you’ll need to manage more things yourself, like purchasing a domain, setting up the look and feel of your site, writing your store policies, and building the website.
5. Upload Products and Start Marketing
Once your store is ready and your supplier is secured, you can start uploading products and officially launch your online sex toy business.
If you run an independent website, you’ll need to focus on marketing efforts, such as improving SEO, boosting search rankings, driving traffic, and optimizing your content.
We also offer more advanced marketing strategies and tips. Check out:
10 Smart Marketing Ideas for Your Sex Toys Online Store
12 Tips to Help You Build a Sex Toys Website Online Store
Final words
The sex toy market remains a hot and growing industry. Now is still a great time to start your online store. You can carve out your place in this exciting market with a clear direction and the right supplier.
We hope to build long-term, win-win partnerships with you and work together to grow the sex toy industry.
