The most worrying thing about the adult doll offline experience store is undoubted whether health issues can be guaranteed. Fang Jie said that at present, the company’s experience store is no problem in terms of supervision.
In Shenzhen, Guangdong, the factory building of more than 3,000 square meters is a bit sultry, and workers are busy producing a large-scale rubber-made adult products-physical dolls.
In the factory warehouse, more than 50 dolls have been packed in boxes, and they will be sent to European and American countries in a week. According to the reporter, during the epidemic this year, the export volume of domestic adult products increased by nearly 50% year-on-year, and the export of adult doll products increased by more than 100%.
Recently, the reporter came to the adult doll production factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. The person in charge of the factory said that the overseas export volume of dolls is now getting higher and higher. The usual export volume is about 3000 per month, which has more than doubled this year. At the same time, with the rise of the new model of offline experience stores, the domestic market has gradually been opened up.
Ninety percent of 4000 dolls are produced per month for export
Yan Sixue, the founder of adult product brand “YANNOVA” and general manager of Yiwu Yansheng E-commerce Co., Ltd., told the reporter that since the epidemic this year, the company’s orders for adult dolls exported overseas have obviously started to increase, especially from Europe, Spain, Italy, Germany, etc. Country orders.
Data from the AliExpress platform of Alibaba also confirms the above trend. The platform is China’s largest cross-border retail e-commerce platform designed to build overseas exports for Chinese companies and has direct access to overseas individual buyers in more than 200 countries and regions. According to statistics from AliExpress, the export volume of adult products has increased by nearly 50% year-on-year, and physical dolls have doubled year-on-year. Since March, the sales of physical dolls in Italy, where the epidemic is most severe, have increased five times year-on-year.
In mid-July, a reporter visited Yan Sixue’s adult doll manufacturing factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Chen Qing, the head of the factory, said, “At present, our factory’s monthly output is 3000 to 4000 dolls, most of which are exported to overseas markets such as Europe, America, and Japan. Last year, our export ratio was 90%. This year, as the domestic market started to rise, exports accounted for around 80%.”
Chen Qing said that since a few years ago, the overseas market demand for physical dolls has been increasing year by year. During the epidemic this year, the company’s export volume has not decreased but increased by more than 100%. “Among them, orders from Germany have risen the most. The only impact of the epidemic on us is that the freight has increased, and many lines have been shut down and we are forced to ship by sea.”
High simulation, customizable, can walk in the future
“Many people’s impressions of adult dolls may still remain at the stage of inflatable dolls. In fact, the materials have been updated many times.” Yan Sixue introduced.
Eight years ago, TPE material with the scientific name of thermoplastic elastomer began to be used to make physical dolls, which is commonly known as artificial rubber. In recent years, the latest material is silica gel. Because of its high plasticity, the degree of simulation can be better, But the cost is also higher, so many companies currently only use silicone for doll head manufacturing.
Most of the adult dolls produced in Yan Sixue’s factory are for export, so we can see yellow, white, and black dolls of different skin colors and various body shapes being manufactured in the factory. After pouring rubber into a mold equipped with an alloy skeleton, a doll with a height of 1.65 meters and a weight of about 35 kg was born.
“In the beginning, we asked designers to design some facial shapes based on the aesthetics of different countries, and then launched an online survey to ask the locals if they liked it or not. After finalizing, we opened the mold and made it. Now we provide more than 160 face shapes for users “Choose.” Chen Qing said, “In terms of body shape, we are a real model. We completely replicate the body shape of a good-looking female model. The joints are exactly the same.”
The reporter saw in the factory that some workers poured rubber into molds, some workers used electric fusion guns to trim the edges of newly demolded dolls, and some workers were installing eyeballs and makeup on the doll’s head.
“Now the hair and eyebrows of our high-end dolls are all made of real human hair, and the eyebrows are implanted one by one. Instead of using a wig, plus a silicone head, the head simulation can be very good. Even We can already make the subcutaneous veins, which is very different from the inflatable doll in our impression.” Chen Qing said.
The high degree of simulation also brings the price increase. According to reports, the price of a basic doll made of all-rubber material is around 3,000, while the price of a high simulation doll with a silicone head and human hair is as high as 8,000 yuan. With the addition of functions such as heating and voice, the highest price can reach 20,000 yuan.
Chen Qing also introduced that the factory can even undertake a private customized doll business. “We have not done this kind of business for domestic users, but we have done it overseas. A widowed old man provides a few photos of his wife, and we can make a 1:1 doll that restores his wife’s appearance. The function of a physical doll is actually not as for addressing sexual needs, companionship is actually a very important aspect.”
According to the company’s brand leader Fang Jie, according to survey feedback, the current interaction of dolls with voice functions is too simple and not smart enough, which is a shortcoming pointed out by many users. In the next step, the company will strengthen R&D and cooperation to enhance the voice function of physical dolls, and AI functions may be implanted in the future. At the same time, allowing the doll to have a walking function is also the company’s next development direction.
Domestic experience stores are in the ascendant
Fang Jie said that according to their user survey, Chinese users who buy the company’s physical doll products are mainly middle- and high-income men aged 30 to 35.
“The more high-end physical dolls still have a certain threshold in terms of price. We have a customer who is a business person who is on business all year-round. He bought a high-end model and checked it with them every time he went on business. It costs more than 6,000 yuan. Seafarers are also an important customer group, and they are required to sail at sea all year round,” Fang Jie said.
Recently, offline experience stores for adult dolls began to appear in Shenzhen and Dongguan. This is a relatively novel service model. The actual rubber dolls that cost thousands or even tens of thousands can be “experienced” for an hour here for only 180 yuan.
Chen Qing introduced that China’s first offline experience store for adult dolls appeared in Shenzhen, and some of them used their dolls. “In the domestic market, we used to sell mainly on online platforms such as Alibaba. At the end of last year, the offline form of experience stores began to emerge. For experience stores, many people may not understand it. In fact, it provides offline contact. If you are satisfied with the opportunity of the doll, you can buy one on the spot and take it home.”
Now, the factory receives 7 or 8 customers from other places every day to talk about the agency project of the physical doll experience store. “At present, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Suzhou, Xi’an, Kunming, and other places have our offline experience stores, and our next goal is to have one store per province.” Fang Jie said.
“At present, the ratio of men to women in China is seriously imbalanced. There are more than 30 million male compatriots who are bachelors. I think the potential market demand for adult dolls is still very large, which can be regarded as ‘necessity’.” Chen Qing said.
The most worrying thing about the adult doll offline experience store is undoubted whether health issues can be guaranteed. Fang Jie said that at present, the company’s experience store is no problem in terms of supervision.
First of all, the product quality has a complete national related inspection report, and the business license has also been communicated with the industrial and commercial departments to obtain the qualification for adult products.
As for the most concerned hygiene issues, the products used in the experience store have their own unique “mobile channel” design, which can achieve “one customer, one change” and avoid cross-infection from the root cause.
“At the same time, we also stipulate that Keren must register for the identity verification experience when entering the store. This is to prevent minors from entering, and second, to trace back in case of problems.” Fang Jie said.
