Estimated reading time: 5 Min
Sex toys are a market that is becoming more important every day in the Mexican industry. On average, the inhabitants of the country spend about 80 million pesos a year buying these products.
Today, among our success stories Cubbo, we have Banana or melon, a ecommerce who came to Mexico to transform the way in which these products are marketed, while educating and breaking down prejudices on the subject of sexuality. Let's learn more about this innovative business proposal. We interviewed Lourdes Albin. Country Manager of Platanomelón Mexico.
How did Platanomelón start, what has been its evolution and what is its current state?
“Seeking to promote people's happiness and well-being through the promotion of self-esteem and the improvement of complicity with the partner, Banana or melon was born in 2014 in Barcelona - Spain, arriving in Mexico in mid-2020, fulfilling the objective of opening a market in ecommerce and to cover a wider 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 toys sector; we want to “shake” existing stereotypes surrounding sexuality in Mexico and break taboos, seeking that people have access to new forms of pleasure and that it is accessible to all. We are already a community of more than 200,000 people.”
“During 2020, the first year of Platanomelón Mexico, we bill the same amount as Platanomelón Spain in its third year of operation. This, thanks to an accelerated growth in the market, we currently have the Know How of the sector.”
What is the difference between Platanomelón and other ecommerce stores 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 it's on social media 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 sexism, living their sexuality to the fullest.”
“And finally, browsing our website is simple and intuitive, with friendly products. You'll never find 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 they decide to open e-commerce in Mexico and not in other LATAM countries?
“We had a lot of orders from Mexico and since they were international shipments, it took more time and money to ship the order from Spain. We also identified on social networks the interest of the Mexican market in our sex toys. From Spain we had a lot of followers and when analyzing the sector in Mexico, we identified that there were still taboos in this regard, so we decided to open Banana or melon in this country, where, without a doubt, the market is opening up more and more, due to the fact that 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 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 unfriendly products”.
“Launch from 0 the ecommerce in Mexico, it has also opened up the market for us in the rest of LATAM, since today we ship our products to several countries from Mexico: Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Guatemala, Ecuador and Puerto Rico. In addition, we are working to reach other large markets such as Brazil, a strategy that we can carry out with our partner Fulfillment Cubbo, because we fit into 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 seek to position ourselves with a more subtle communication that responds to the needs of our followers and customers, so we are constantly asking their concerns. Nowadays, many Mexicans have no one to talk to about these issues; having a safe space with quality sexological information where they can answer their main questions is one of our differentiators. We don't just want to inform through our content, but to educate our audience.”
“Another challenge we encountered in the country was the issue of banking, not everyone has access to credit or debit cards, which led us to consider different payment alternatives.”
“Devising strategies to reach new audiences without marketing or digital 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 sex toys ideal for ecommerce? Have you considered physical sale?
“So far in Mexico, we haven't sold our products physically; our main benefit of selling online is that there are no intermediaries involved, we offer the products we manufacture directly, allowing 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 to people experimenting with these types of sexual elements.”
“The main advantage of selling for ecommerce, is that it allows greater discretion both in the purchase of the product and in the delivery of the product. Nobody knows what you ordered, in addition, our shipments are ultra discreet, so that the person does not feel fear or embarrassment when receiving the product. We take the utmost care of the privacy of our customers and carry out the entire delivery process in a secure manner. Our buyers can have complete confidence, from start to finish.”
How has Cubbo contributed to the growth of Platanomelón in the area of e-commerce, what aspects have been relevant?
”Cubbo has supported us to have a robust logistic muscle, which is reflected in two indicators:
-Fulfilment time: 16 hours on average (including sorting, packing and shipping the order). What does this mean? It takes 16 hours from when the customer buys the sex toy on the site until they have it in their hands. It's a really efficient experience.
-Nationwide delivery time: 1.3 average days and same-day delivery throughout Mexico City and Metropolitan Area
When people buy a sex toy, they want it for “now”. The fact that we can deliver in an average of 1.3 days makes a difference with our competition and, above all, with the satisfaction of our customers.”
Do you have any future expansion plans? If so, how do you intend to carry them out?
“Yes, we are considering growth in some countries, we have interest - as we saw in Mexico - from buyers both in Latin America and in the United States and Canada.”
Would you recommend fulfillment services to other ecommerce sites and Cubbo as a provider of these services?
“Yes, part of what we like about Cubbo is 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 everyday work flow beautifully. They are always available to provide us with solutions.”
“To be with Cubbo has opened the doors to the LATAM market for us, helping us to reduce delivery times and save on shipments. Initially, everything was shipped from Spain and delivery times to Latin America, specifically Mexico, were long. Now from Mexico, times have gotten shorter.”
What would you recommend to other ecommerce stores that want to distribute their products in other countries, without having a physical presence?
“To others ecommerce who want to open markets in other countries without bringing their operating team, I would recommend that they look for a strategic partner that provides them with efficient solutions in Fulfillment, to advise on legal issues and costs to be very clear with clients and to be able to provide timely attention to any questions or contingencies that buyers may have”.
Are you looking for an ally to help you improve your delivery process, enhance your compliance and customer satisfaction? , do not hesitate to contact us, we are the best Fulfillment center for ecommerce in Mexico and Colombia, you just have to click Here.
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