LOS ANGELES — Bellesa on Thursday announced it has lowered all prices on its Bellesa Boutique online sex toy store by 8.6% to negate the effects of inflation.
With inflation at a 40-year high, companies have been quick to ramp up prices to meet their own rising costs. While it is a standard practice for brands to raise prices at a time where supply chain disruptions are causing unforeseen shortages and cost increases, Bellesa said it has made the decision to lower prices on Bellesa Boutique in the face of it, with the intention being simple: "Your money is just as good with us now as it ever was."
“Cost of living has increased drastically for people. We are making the choice to stand with our community during these uncertain financial times,” says Michelle Shnaidman, CEO of Bellesa. “It is our brand ethos and our promise to keep Bellesa products as accessible as possible for our community, to which we owe everything.”
The increase in the cost of living and in consumer products is typically looked at by companies through the lens of how it impacts their bottom line—and not how said company’s consumers are affected in a daily and vastly more personal sense, Bellesa said.
Bellesa’s VP of Finance, Ali Elman, had this to say of Bellesa’s counterintuitive decision: “Do we think this is going to hurt our business? No, we believe the opposite. The impact this will have on margin is accounted for, and is absolutely part of the equation, but it is far from that simple,” she continued. “Ultimately, there are several other key factors that indicate a company’s success and growth—such as new customer acquisition and repeat purchaser activity. Bellesa has an email list segment colloquialized as 'The Diamond Club,' which consists of community members who have purchased from Bellesa Boutique more than 10 times. We’ve grown our business by being good to our consumers—that’s the foot we’re leading with…”
Bellesa sent out thousands of free sex toys in March 2020 with free priority shipping to encourage people to stay home and quarantine at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the launch of their two flagship pleasure products with BuzzFeed, Bellesa said it is continuing to expand into the mainstream and break down stigmas surrounding sex/pleasure. In November 2021, Bellesa launched the Demi Wand in partnership with Demi Lovato, joining forces to advocate for sexual wellness and pleasure for all. Bellesa also has partnered with celebrities like Cardi B, Saweetie, Ashley Benson, and more.
