LINGERIE giants Ann Summers are hosting bondage masterclasses for those who are interested in BDSM – to warn people of the dangers of rough sex and bondage, after Valentine’s Day and the release of Fifty Shades of Grey sparked huge interest in Cardiff’s raunchiest shop.
The shop is drawing trade from lucky Valentine’s Day lovers who are thinking of cranking their sex life up a notch and there is no question that the Sam Taylor-Johnson directed film has generated public curiosity about BDSM.
The store has their own film-inspired lingerie as well as board games and books. If you wanted to recreate scenes from the book then you need not look any further.
Dominique, assistant manager at Ann Summers Cardiff, said: “In the past two days we have had a massive increase in sales but that is expected with Valentine’s Day approaching too.”
The Fifty Shades of Grey merchandise is selling but – surprisingly – not as well as expected.
Dominique said: “Our most popular items are the lingerie from our own collection, but the most popular Fifty Shades item is the two-ended tickler, which has a paddle and a feather tickler.”
The staff in the store are not expecting a massive sale increase in Fifty Shades of Grey merchandise until next week, when the film has taken full effect.
But with BDSM comes great responsibility. There are worries women will start stocking up on hardware store cable ties, duct tape and rope and the staff at Ann Summers are concerned about people not using the right equipment for BDSM and could be hurting themselves.
Dominique said: “As a store like this we feel we have a duty of care. It is important to know that the book is fiction and should be taken for what it is.”
The class is running on February 24 from 6.30pm to 9.00pm and a ticket costs £25, including a glass of bubbly on arrival. Tickets can be booked at: www.annsummers.com/page/bondage-for-beginners-masterclass#
The masterclasses are designed to show people how to use the things they have bought and to know when they are doing it wrong.
