Platanomelón: Opening the market for sex toys in Mexico
Sex toys are a market that is becoming more relevant every day in the Mexican industry; on average, the country's inhabitants spend close to 80 million pesos a year purchasing these products.
Today among our success storiesCubbo, we havePlatanomelon, andecommercethat arrived in Mexico to transform the way these products are marketed, while educating and overthrowing prejudices on the topic of sexuality. Let's learn more about this innovative business proposal.We interviewed Lourdes Albin. Country Manager of Platanomelón México.
How did Platanomelón start, what has been its evolution and what is its current status?
“Seeking to promote the happiness and well-being of people through the promotion of self-esteem and the improvement of complicity with the couple,Platanomelonwas born in 2014 in Barcelona - Spain, arriving in Mexico in mid-2020, fulfilling the objective of opening the market in theecommerceand reach a broader audience (mainly people who have never experimented with toys)."
"Thanks to our differential business model, we are currently market leaders in Spain and Mexico and we continue working to position ourselves as a leading social movement in the erotic toy sector; we want to shake the existing stereotypes around sexuality in Mexico and break taboos., seeking that people have access to new forms of pleasure and that it is accessible to everyone. We are already a community of more than 200 thousand people."
"During 2020, the first year ofPlatanomelon Mexico, we invoice the same amount asPlatanomelon Spainin its third year of operation. This, thanks to accelerated growth in the market, we currently have theknow howof the sector.”
What is the differential of Platanomelón compared to other ecommerce in its field?
"Without a doubt, our great differentiator is that we are not a company that only sells products, we are also generators of sexual education through creative content. Whether on social networks or our website, we want the fun experience to start from there."
"Our sexologists and sex experts answer questions about sexuality and the product catalog on all our channels and social networks. We want you to find your ideal toy, but above all: we want to help you live a happier, healthier and more informed sexuality."
"Part of the DNA of our brand is fun. We want people to learn to have fun with sexuality, leaving behind taboos, prejudices and machismo, living their sexuality to the fullest."
"And finally, navigation on our website is simple and intuitive, with friendly products. You will never come across realistic products! We even have a quiz that will help you find your ideal toy, depending on what you like or want to discover."
Why did you decide to open ecommerce in Mexico and not in other LATAM countries?
"We had many orders from Mexico and since they were international shipments, it took more time and money to send the order from Spain. We also identified on social networks the interest of the Mexican market in our sex toys. From Spain we had many followers and when analyzing the sector in Mexico, we identified that there were still taboos in this regard, so we decided to openPlatanomelonin this country, where without a doubt, the market is opening up more and more, because there is more public openness to issues related to sexuality, mainly female sexuality. However, there are still many prejudices to be broken and we want to join this revolution, we want people to freely enjoy themselves alone and as a couple with just a click away, without the need to physically attend sex shops, where they find an environment of neon lights, full of taboos, with realistic and not at all friendly products."
"Launch from 0 onecommerceIn Mexico, it has also opened the market for us in the rest of LATAM, since today we send our products to various countries from Mexico: Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Guatemala, Ecuador and Puerto Rico. In addition, we are working on reaching other large markets such as Brazil, a strategy that we will be able to carry out with our partner.fulfillment Cubbo, well we join in our expansion plans.”
What were the main challenges of opening a sex toy e-commerce in Mexico?
"The most important thing we took into account when opening the market in Mexico was the great taboo that exists around sexuality, so we sought to position ourselves with a more subtle communication that responded to the needs of our followers and clients, therefore, we are constantly asking their concerns. Today, many Mexicans have no one to talk to about these issues; having a safe space with quality sexological information where they can clarify their main doubts is one of our differentiators. We not only want to inform through our content, but also educate our audience".
"Another challenge we encountered in the country was the issue of banking access; not all people have access to credit or debit cards, which led us to consider different payment alternatives."
"Devising strategies to reach new audiences without doing digital marketing or remarketing was another challenge, since due to the nature of the product it is not allowed to do so."
"And finally, another of our challenges was to make people see the issue of sexuality as something normal and positive for their well-being."
Why are they ideal sex toys for ecommerce? Have you considered physical sales?
"So far in Mexico, we have not sold our products physically; our main benefit of selling online is that there are no intermediaries involved, we offer the products we manufacture directly, which allows us to have premium toys made with high quality materials at affordable prices for all budgets. We believe that cost should not be an impediment for people to experiment with this type of sexual elements."
"The main advantage of making sales byecommerce, is that it allows greater discretion both in the purchase of the product and in its delivery. Nobody finds out what you ordered, in addition, our shipments are ultra discreet, ensuring that the person does not feel fear or embarrassment when receiving the product. We take maximum care of the privacy of our customers and carry out the entire delivery process safely. Our buyers can have complete confidence, from start to finish.”
How has Cubbo contributed to the growth of Platanomelón in the area of electronic commerce, what aspects have been relevant?
“Cubbohas supported us to have a robust logistics muscle, which is reflected in two indicators:
-Fulfillment time:16 hours on average (includes the assortment, packaging and shipping of the order). What does this mean? There are 16 hours that pass from the moment the customer purchases the sex toy on the website until they have it in their hands. It's a really efficient experience.
-Delivery time nationwide:1.3 average days and same day delivery throughout CDMX and the Metropolitan Area
When people buy a sex toy, they want it “now.” The fact of being able to deliver in 1.3 days on average makes the difference with our competition and, above all, with the satisfaction of our customers.”
Do you have future expansion plans? If so, how do you plan to carry them out?
"Yes, we are evaluating growing towards some countries, we have interest - just as we saw in Mexico - from buyers both in Latin America and in the US and Canada."
Would you recommend fulfillment services and Cubbo as a provider of these services to other ecommerce businesses?
“Yes, part of what we like aboutCubbois that they are always willing to try new things to find efficiencies and improve the user experience. They have a very open and accessible team that makes the day-to-day work flow wonderfully. "They are always available to provide us with solutions."
"Be withCubbohas opened the doors to the market in LATAM, helping us reduce delivery times and save on shipping. Initially, everything was sent from Spain and delivery times to Latin America, specifically Mexico, were long. Now from Mexico, times have been shortened.”
What would you recommend to other e-commerce companies that want to distribute their products in other countries, without having a physical presence?
“To othersecommerceIf you want to open a market in other countries without bringing your operational team, I would recommend looking for a strategic partner that provides you with efficient solutions infulfillment, get advice on legal issues and costs to be very clear with clients and be trained to provide timely attention to any question or eventuality that buyers may have.”
Are you looking for an ally to help you improve your delivery process, enhance your compliance and the satisfaction of your customers? Do not hesitate to contact us, we are the bestfulfillmentecommerce center in Mexico and Colombia,you just have to clickhere.
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