By Sanjaya Dhakal
Kathmandu,
In a society where sex is still
taboo, Manjeet Poudel and Praveen Dhakal have struck gold in an unthinkable
trade.
Sweet Secret, the first registered sex toy shop in Kathmandu,
opened nearly two years ago.
The response has been so phenomenal since then that the partners
have already expanded their operation to two other cities.
And soon enough they will add two more cities to their list.
The duo sell 150 different items, from scented condoms to full
body dolls, imported mostly from China.
Their average monthly sales are around 300,000 to 400,000 rupees
(£,2400-3,200; $3,789-$5,053) from the Kathmandu shop alone - a pretty handsome
return, they say.
"When we started this shop, we were anxious that there
would be protests or opposition but, to our delight, there have been
none," said Mr Dhakal.
It was not unreasonable for them to be anxious. There was
apprehension when they approached the authorities for registration.
Officials finally agreed to register their shop and asked them
to open '"proper showrooms" for selling sex toys.
"To import and sell different kinds of artificial sexual
organs of male and female, and dolls, through properly managed showrooms
without imparting any negative impact on public interest, decency, morality,
and civility," reads one of the objectives of the shop, which was
officially approved during registration.
The shop itself is somewhat inconspicuous, despite being located
in the centre of the city.
Customers need to walk down a short alley and climb a dimly lit
staircase before coming out at the bright shop with its pink walls and neatly
ordered display cabinets.
Every day, around 100 customers
visit the shop in New Road, Kathmandu - about 10% are women, according to Mr
Dhakal.
In order to help female customers or those who feel awkward
visiting the shop, the company also offers online purchasing, which accounts
for about a third of all sales.
Mr Poudel explained: "They [customers] can even order for
delivery online... and we have female staff who can deal with female
customers."
So what is the typical profile of a Sweet Secret customer?
Mr Poudel said: "Typically, they are over 35 years of age.
There are no other tell-tale signs. Some are single, some are married."
The shop owners also said they regularly take orders from young
Nepalese working in Gulf countries who want specific items to be delivered to
their wives back home.
According to official figures, more than two million young
Nepalese people work overseas, most of whom are male.
But a large number of clients are spouses of people who had left
the country to work overseas.
The absence of such a large
number of young men has had social consequences including increased
extra-marital relations, according to sociologists.
Mukunda Raj Aryal, an expert on Nepalese culture, said: "It
is but natural that when couples are separated at such youthful age, the
incidence of adultery will increase."
The duo hope that their products can help resolve such problems.
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