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Tag: adult

  • Decoding the Future of Adult Beverages: Upcoming Trends Tailoring Consumer Choices

    Decoding the Future of Adult Beverages: Upcoming Trends Tailoring Consumer Choices

    The consumer preferences in the alcohol sector are shifting as individuals become more deliberate in their alcohol consumption habits, according to recent studies. Factors such as moderation, social occasions, value, convenience, and brand trust are major influences on customer behavior and the variety of products in the category.

    Changes in Consumption Habits

    There is a rising trend of moderation in alcohol consumption as customers are becoming more mindful of their spending and alcohol intake. In fact, total beverage alcohol (TBA) volumes in the 15 largest markets, including Australia, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, South Africa, China, India, Japan, and Taiwan, saw a 3% decline last year after a 2% drop in 2024. It appears that consumers are opting to drink less per occasion, with the average number of alcoholic beverages consumed dropping from 4.4 in March 2024 to 3.9 in March this year. Despite this, global consumption volume remains more than 30% above the levels recorded in 2000.

    These figures suggest that this trend of moderation is becoming a permanent fixture in customer behavior, rather than a temporary or trend-driven phenomenon. However, this pattern varies across different generations. For instance, only the boomer generation has shown a decrease in participation, frequency and intensity of alcohol consumption, driven by factors such as cost, fewer social occasions, and a desire for moderation. On the other hand, the proportion of Gen Z individuals in the drinking population has risen from 13% to 17%, with above-average participation noted in India and the US.

    Catering to Evolving Preferences

    Social occasions continue to be a significant driver of alcohol consumption, with 35% of consumers citing them as their main reason for drinking. Moreover, 52% of consumers prioritize flavor when choosing ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. Over the past decade, product innovation has contributed to over half of the growth in beverage alcohol retail value, enhancing the demand for products like canned cocktails, hard seltzers, flavored malt beverages, and no- or low-alcohol products.

    Trust in a brand also plays a crucial role in consumers’ willingness to experiment with new products. A staggering 77% of global consumers are more likely to trust a new product if it comes from a brand they are familiar with.

    The beer category, encompassing both traditional beer and other beer-related products, has seen its share of total alcohol servings increase from approximately 46% in 2019 to over 50% in 2026, a trend projected to continue until 2035. Demand for social experiences, convenience, affordability, and new formats has led to beer alone increasing its share from around 44% to 47%.

    Questions & Answers

    What factors are influencing consumer behavior in the alcohol category?
    Factors such as moderation, social occasions, value, convenience, and trust in the brand are some of the key influences on consumer behavior in the alcohol category.

    How has alcohol consumption changed across different generations?
    While the boomer generation has shown a decrease in alcohol consumption due to factors like cost and a preference for moderation, the Gen Z population has seen a rise in alcohol consumption, with particularly high participation in India and the US.

    What role does brand trust play in the alcohol category?
    Brand trust significantly influences a consumer’s willingness to try new products. Around 77% of global consumers are more likely to trust a new product if it comes from a brand they are familiar with.

  • Shein Dodges French Site Ban: Court Mandates Age Verification for Adult Products Amidst Childlike Sex Doll Controversy

    Shein Dodges French Site Ban: Court Mandates Age Verification for Adult Products Amidst Childlike Sex Doll Controversy

    The French government has announced its plans to appeal the recent Paris court decision that refused a three-month suspension of Shein, a Chinese online platform. The government’s crackdown on Shein follows outrage over sex dolls resembling children being sold on its platform.

    Legal Measures Against Shein

    The Paris court directed Shein to enforce age verification measures for the sale of adult products on its French website, with a penalty of 10,000 euros for any violation. This ruling is part of an ongoing effort by the authorities to compel Shein to improve the regulation of products sold by third parties on its website.

    However, the court turned down the government’s plea to suspend Shein’s entire website for three months, deeming such a measure as “disproportionate”. Despite the court’s decision, the French government, acting at the behest of the Prime Minister, intends to appeal the ruling in the next few days, asserting its belief in the “systematic risk” linked to Shein’s business model.

    Scandal Surrounding Shein

    Shein has been the subject of controversy after France’s consumer watchdog, DGCCRF, discovered sex dolls imitating children and prohibited weapons for sale on its platform. This prompted the government’s attempt to suspend Shein’s operation.

    A representative from Shein expressed approval of the court’s ruling. The spokesperson stated, “We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry. Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.”

    Shein abstained from commenting on the government’s decision to appeal but can now reactivate its marketplace in France, which was suspended last month following the DGCCRF findings.

    Introduction of Age Verification Measures

    The Court of Paris has mandated Shein to establish measures to confirm the age of its users. This is to prevent “sexual products that may constitute pornographic content” from being accessible to minors. On November 3, Shein responded to the consumer watchdog’s findings by banning all sex dolls and suspending the adult products category from its global marketplace.

    French Government’s Stance on Online Platforms

    The French government has been actively targeting online platforms that sell illicit products. Last month, France’s consumer regulator reported that other platforms, including AliExpress, Amazon, Ebay, Joom, and Temu, were selling illicit products in France. However, unlike Shein, these platforms did not suspend their marketplaces, and they have not been the focus of government scrutiny to the same degree.

    This crackdown also extends to policy, with French retailers claiming that Shein’s remarkably low prices and rapid growth are facilitated by a customs duty loophole. Recently, the EU agreed to impose a 3 euro fee on low-value e-commerce packages previously entering the bloc duty-free, echoing similar measures taken by the United States.

    Questions & Answers

    What was the French government’s request to the Paris court regarding Shein’s operation?
    The French government requested a three-month suspension of Shein’s entire website, but the court deemed this measure as “disproportionate”.

    What measures has Shein taken in response to the controversy?
    After the discovery of childlike sex dolls and banned weapons on its platform, Shein suspended its adult products category globally and banned all sex dolls.

    What measures have been taken by the EU to regulate low-value e-commerce packages?
    The EU recently agreed to impose a 3 euro fee on low-value e-commerce packages that were previously entering the bloc duty-free.

  • Banks Put Kibosh on Adult Content, OnlyFans Says

    Banks Put Kibosh on Adult Content, OnlyFans Says

    The content platform defended its ban on pornography, saying it had been prompted do to so because of difficulties getting financial services if it didn’t.

    OnlyFans banned pornographic content after being denied interbank wires by banks including New York-based BNY Mellon, the London-based start-up’s founder-CEO Tim Stokely said in an interview.

    The decision unleashed a maelstrom among an estimated 2 million content creators – many of them women – who make a living by selling adult content on the platform. Performers like Blac Chyna reportedly earn millions monthly from OnlyFans subscription-based plans.

    Sites like OnlyFans are meant to hand creators – especially women – more control over their own content and revenue. An increasing wariness by financial services firms to cater to adult content complicates these efforts. The ban, effective from October 1, is seen as a war on pornography.

    Stokely, the CEO, said banks had made OnlyFans’ life difficult by holding up payments. «We pay over one million creators over $300 million every month, and making sure that these funds get to creators involves using the banking sector.»

    Stokely said J.P. Morgan was «particularly aggressive in closing accounts of sex workers or…any business that supports sex workers.» OnlyFans’ reported 130 million consumers largely use it for porn, though the platform has tried to push other entertainers like fitness influencers or musicians. Celebrities including Cardi B have also recently joined.

    Stokely is the son of ex-Barclays investment banker Guy Stokely. OnlyFans’ finance chief is John Carlyle, a former Lehman Brothers and J.P. Morgan banker.

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  • Vietnam has most adult gamers globally

    Vietnam has most adult gamers globally

    Vietnam has the highest number of adult gamers in the world in 2020, according to a recently released global consumer survey by German data portal Statista.

    Ninety four percent of Vietnamese said they gamed at least occasionally while nearly 20 percent said they were frequent gamers, according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey.

    Eighty five percent said they gamed on smartphones.

    Besides Vietnam, other developing countries like Nigeria, Thailand and the Philippines also reported high numbers of adult gamers, aided by their younger demographics.

    Smartphone gaming has won over people not previously invested in the activity by giving them easy access at low or no initial cost.

    The Statista Global Consumer Survey polled 1,000-4,000 respondents between 18 and 64 years of age in 55 countries and territories.

    Vietnam is a growing market for e-sport and online games. An earlier Statista report said online game revenues in the country this year are expected to top $10.1 million, up 16 percent from 2019.

    Another study by market research company Niko Partners and Google earlier this year forecast Vietnam’s e-sport market to achieve the highest five-year compounded annual growth rate in Southeast Asia, from 2018, of 28 percent.

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  • Burger King announces Valentine’s Day ‘adults meal,’ complete with ‘adults toy’

    Burger King announces Valentine’s Day ‘adults meal,’ complete with ‘adults toy’

    When making plans for Valentine’s Day, most couples wouldn’t consider Burger King an option for a romantic night out.

    The fast food chain is trying to change that in Israel, where they’re offering a special “adults meal” just in time for Valentine’s Day.

    The adult meal comes with two Whoppers, two orders of french fries, two beers, and one romantic adult toy.

    No word on what that toy might be exactly, though Burger King Israel’s promotional video gives us a few hints. It shows a takeaway box with an eye mask, a feather duster, and a scalp massager.

    The “adults meal” will only be available on Valentine’s Day after 6 p.m. to customers who are 18 years or older at Burger King’s Israel locations.

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