Adam Glasser, better known as Seymore Butts, held a one-hour seminar this afternoon in which he detailed his thoughts on building the ideal retail store.
Titled “A Studio’s Views on Adult Retailing – A Conversation with Adam Glasser,” the seminar was held from 1-2 p.m. on the lower level of the Sands Expo Center, and touched on everything from the general appearance of a store to methods of standing out in a sea of competitors.
The first and most crucial point Glasser made was that retailers should aim to create an inviting atmosphere: It should be bright, open and non-intimidating, he said.
“I think the days of those dark back rooms are over,” Glasser opined, adding that having good music playing could help raise the comfort level.
Further raising the comfort level, however, comes from having a knowledgeable staff, something Glasser stressed emphatically.
“They should know the most popular directors in each genre,” he recommended. “They should know the major AVN Award winners.”
It helps also, he said, for staff members to be aware of porn’s mainstream side, because it can help ease customers into asking for product they might otherwise not be comfortable asking about.
For example, he said, “They should know that I have a TV show. They should know that Jenna Jameson has a book called How to Make Love Like a Porn Star on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s not easy for people to ask certain questions, even today, and if your staff creates a bond with them, it creates trust.”
Glasser quoted Hustler’s chain of retail stores as a premiere example of how to design a brick-and-mortar adult business.
“If anybody that has a brick-and-mortar store hasn’t visited a Hustler store yet, that would be a good thing to do, because I think they’ve done it right,” he said, quoting those stores’ coffee bars, merchandising items and tasteful storefront displays as examples of what makes them inviting and successful.
As far as what to carry, Glasser noted that gonzo is reportedly the most profitable genre for retailers, “So I’d make sure you have the best fucking gonzo there is in your store, and go from there,” he summarized.
