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0w many people can Hreally say they don't squirm when they hear about sex shops and sex toys? Sex stores aren't always the most comfortable or favourable subject among many people, especially with the older generation. The idea of a dark, dirty store with even more darker and leerier staff inside is often a perception that peo- ple can't shake from their minds. Despite these percep- tions that many still have. the profit margins for many of these stores in Waterloo, however, are continuously on the rise. And while it's not one of the most conventional products to sell, the lunar tive business of adult videos and sex toys in Waterloo, as one manager admits, can earn up to 5500.000 a year in just one store lid Reiber is a manager of a Waterloo adult video store who has seen a considerable change in the variety of peo- ple who frequent his store. "l understand the old taboo of fa sex shop being) a dirty uld man's store but when you walk in my store, you then see ifs nothing like that." said Reiher. who has worked at making his video rental and sex toys more more couple- and female- oriented, "Forty per certt of the customers that come in my store are women. It wasn't like that a couple of years ago where now I have more and more women, especial- ly university women, that come in here" Reiher descrilses his busi- ness as a welcoming envi- ronment with bright lighting like any other ordinary video store, “I have perople who walk in and are amazed because the atmosphere is not what c HA'RC 1PAL BY RYAN (imam: I hr rhe ( hronirle Sex shops: dirty or downplayed? “Emphatically, this was a fine dining experience. My steak was prepared with intelligence & care." Waterloo Fetail stores gife sneak peek into taboo topic they thought it would he." he said. "When you think of an adult video store. you think of something dingy and dark with people mas- turhating in the corner. " nothing like that and l dorit think I could work here if it was." Most of the people who enter a sex shop are normal- ly searching for toys or pornography to use or watch with their significant other and nut by them- selves, Rciber said. "Most (sex) stores are geared towards couples, where you can rent what you want to watch and go home and spend quality time with your girlfriend or wife," he said. Reiber has seen c0nsid- erable progress in today's society towards people's views on sex stores, where five or six years ago many of his customers would fear being caught walking into a sex shop. "A lot of people think that sex is a taboo thing and that it's something that should remain hush hush," he said. "Anything dealing with the human body is considered a bad thing to these kinds of people -.. and the people who are saying negative things ahnm our More often arent comfortable with their own sexuality." Even though Reiter thinks that sexuality is out there more nowadays than it has ever been before, he still insists on keeping his windows covered out of courtesy for passerhys who may feel uncomfortable by what can he seen through the windows. "it's a borderline thing on what yuu're going to display. When kids walk by, they shouldn't see what's inside your More because it is an adult store." he said, men- (inning sumo competition who prefer to keep their windows open for people to we inside. I do think there should BUSINESS be a standard where all (sex) nun-s (shopld have their windows) blacked out because I know I feel uncomfortable walking by other sex stores with my kids and explaining to them why the stuffed Easter Bunny they have sitting in their window has a penis." The Stag Shop, located at 7 King St. N.. in uptown Waterloo, is "just like any other retail store," according to manager Marisa Emanuel. A part of a person's com- furt zone with walking into a sex 2' w (an he decided upn- mm‘h ”pm-un- thcv, "I from soriety (arm a! quest rrrmmerrtt - Richard K. around them or from the media. Reiher said. Although media has played an avid role in pro- gressing sexuality. Reiber feels it has also played a negative effect in the world of pornography because of any negative connotations that are attached. The news of pedophiles being report- ml in Waterloo Region. Rt-iher feels is an example of how some news does hurt his store "When people read these things in the newspaper, they're not hearing the word 'kiddiel They hear the word porn in general. so they're classifying everything together," Reiber said. "That's probably 95 per cent of why people think the way they do. When you hear porn, you think of all kind of porn and not just the stuff that's intended for adult viewing," "Thrat's definitely a main RYAN tannin WI)": stumbling block with soci- ety because normally all porn is classified together." Manager Marisa Emanuel ofqhe Stag Shop, 7 King St. N., in Waterloo, agrees that society does play a strong part in helping peo- ple feel more comfortable when entering a sex store. "Society has learned to accept that just because youre a sexual person, that doesn't mean you're deviant," Emanuel said. "Older people might not be able to understand the changes that society has gone through." "With more acceptance about things like toys and different lifestyles. there are a lot of people who just haven't been able to accept it yet," she said. The Stag Shop is a fami- ly-owned chain of business- es that has been passed down for generations. Emanuel said. and it prides itself on being a friendly store that only accepts peo- ple who are mature and are able to accept the products that they sell. "A lot of people are very nervous to come in and they think the products inside might not be appro- priate, or they think the employees may lack prod- uct knowledge." Emanuel said, who has eye-witnessed the expansion of her clien, tele over the past couple of years. She now sees all kinds of people frequent her store, including some in their late sixties or seventies who are impressed with what they see. She said she can under- stand the fears many people may have entering a sex shop. especially when they don't know what to expect. "Most commonly (peo- ple) think it's just a dirty sex store." she said. "But once lhey come inside. they begin to realize that we do act pro- fessiortal." "We're jusl like any other retail store."