The downturn is making British people kinkier, according to one of the UK’s top online sex shops, Temptations Direct (http://www.temptationsdirect.co.uk ). With a focus on their purse as well as their pleasure, cash-strapped adults are swapping a night out in the pub for a sensational, BDSM-inspired night in the bedroom with handcuffs, clamps and restraints, turning this country into the United Kinkdom.

Temptations Direct is one of the UK’s five largest online retailers of adult goods. During 2009, it witnessed the sales of fetish products growing significantly more than adult products in general. And, recently, sales of fetish goods ahead of Valentines Day 2010 more than doubled on sales in 2009. In particular, there was a sharp rise in demand for novelty fetish items such as furry handcuffs.

In the 12 months to January 2010, the top five sellers in Temptations Direct’s fetish range were:

Restraints – up 390%
Strap ons – up 370%
Fetish penis rings – up 350%
Clamps – up 340%
Masks and hoods – up 290%

Chastity devices and whips/canes also saw a strong growth in demand, with an annual rise in sales of 270% and 180% respectively.

Stephen Hackett of Temptations Direct comments: “Fetish imagery is now firmly ingrained in mainstream pop culture and high street fashion, and it’s regularly seen in movies and TV adverts. Meanwhile, fetish clubs such as Torture Garden remain extremely popular amongst UK club-goers. With financial woes compelling Brits to spend more time at home, it’s hardly surprising that sexually liberated adults are increasingly choosing to experiment with bondage, flogging, role play and dressing up in kink-wear.”

He adds: “For many of our customers, pain is pleasure and what better way to relieve recession frustrations than by unleashing that naughty side? Whether people are into the more playful product lines, such as costumes and blindfolds, or want to experiment with full-on bondage restraints and electric genital devices, fetish has come out of its niche and is whipping up a wild time in bedrooms and playrooms throughout the UK.”

Temptations Direct, an online supplier of adult toys and lingerie, is set to spice up the sex life of more UK consumers with its takeover of Purplepleasures.com. The online sex supermarket will now offer a bigger range of saucy supplies to satisfy the nation’s insatiable appetite for naughty bedroom novelties.

Rewriting the recession rulebook for small businesses, the takeover will see the Redditch-based company double its turnover over the next 12 months and take on more staff. With hundreds of small firms going to the wall every week and unemployment figures still rising, Temptations Direct’s expansion is a boon for Redditch, which has been hit particularly hard by the recession, and proof that a small family run company can prosper during the crunch.

The Temptations Direct website stocks more than 12,000 products including sex toys, lubricants, lingerie, novelties, games, and bondage gear and furniture. With Purple Pleasures added to the saucy stable, the company will offer one of the largest and most diverse selections of adult goods in the UK. Plans are already in place to increase the Purple Pleasures range from 1,500 items to over 7,000.

Saucy wares already on the Purple Pleasures site include a virtual warren full of rabbit vibrators, sexy outfits and erotic clothing from Shirley of Hollywood, Dreamgirl, Forplay and Hustler, and fetish gear fit for the most discerning BDSM connoisseur.

Director Stephen Hackett says: “The increasingly adventurous attitude to life in the British bedroom means the market for adult material is booming – and we’re expanding to keep up with demand. Whether you’re a sex toy virgin or a seasoned S&M veteran, you’ll find everything you need without having to step outside your front door.”

The company’s expansion will bring extra benefits for its customers: higher stock levels will allow it to deliver orders more quickly while additional supplier discounts will translate to lower prices online.

Stephen Hackett adds: “Anyone concerned about Purple Pleasures’ previous reputation for poor service and unfulfilled orders can rest assured – it will now be run with the same high standards that Temptations Direct customers have always enjoyed.”