As a native Charlottean, one thing this writer can tell you about the town is that it ain’t a porn haven. Seeking out adult paraphernalia in Charlotte is about as much of a breeze as finding some good grits in Hackensack, N.J. Take it from someone who’s done the seeking. Lots of it.
Attempting to turn that sad state of affairs around is entrepreneur Eric McCoy, owner of The Reddoor, a swanky adult boutique not unlike Hustler Hollywood, whose two locations are changing the very face of adult in the notoriously conservative Bible Belt.
Opening the first location’s doors on July 4, 2003 (with the apropos symbolism of opening on Independence Day very much in mind), McCoy stepped into the market less as a competitor with other adult retailers than as a brand new type of entity — a high-end retailer whose products happen to be for adults.
“I mainly focused on mainstream retail store as my benchmark,” McCoy explains. “Chains that impress me like Aldo, Limited, Guess, Pottery Barn, Best Buy and even Target. I studied every aspect of the stores from the design and lighting to the management structures and how they differentiate themselves in their respective markets. I am not saying I didn’t look at stores in this industry, because I did, but I felt my vision was so far off of what my competition was doing that I didn’t want to infect my mind with their methods and practices.”
Strong words, perhaps, but quite deservedly so. The Reddoor, with its bright, welcoming atmosphere and luxuriant displays, is unlike any adult store seen before in the South. Until one really gets into perusing its wares, it appears to be nothing more taboo than a Victoria’s Secret shop — and every bit as upscale. This undoubtedly accounts tremendously for why The Reddoor attracts the large number of women it does.
“The majority of our customers are women,” says McCoy. “They really gravitate towards our concept.” He attributes this trend not only to the comfortable environment the Reddoor offers, but to the changing attitudes of women toward sex, as well.
“Women are finally saying that they enjoy sex just as much as men do, and they are interested in making sex pleasurable and fun by bringing toys to the bedroom.”
The Reddoor has played into this interest by building a marketing campaign around its top-selling toy, the I-Vibe Rabbit, which has been a smash hit in Charlotte.
“We created a series of 15-second commercials that place a mascot rabbit as the star in a few real-life situations,” McCoy elucidates. “This rabbit has become a local hero of sorts, appearing at local night clubs and participating in a fashion show for the store. This campaign has created quite a stir and shows you don’t have to be nasty or offensive to get attention.”
Still, there are those who automatically categorize anything sex-related as “nasty” and “offensive,” and this has proven to be The Reddoor’s primary roadblock in attempts at expansion.
“The obstacle has been breaking the preconceived ideals of the landlords,” McCoy states. “Most of the landlords that I have approached don’t understand the concept and immediately close their doors to me.”
With any luck, though, this sort of closed-minded obstruction will crumble as those of the current generation move into property-owning positions. If so, McCoy imagines The Reddoor becoming an accepted and respected brand name across the country and even all over the world.
“Since inception, I have envisioned The Reddoor as mainstream America’s erotic boutique,” he says. “I don’t see The Reddoor as much as a revolutionary concept, as do some, but more of a tool in our nation’s sexual liberation. I think America is ready for The Reddoor concept.”
To experience The Reddoor concept for yourself, go to thereddoorstore.com or gotrabbits.com.
