retail profiles // sexy // adam & eve

Adam & Eve in Jacksonville, FL. Latiff has arrange the décor of Adam & Eve in a style that is inviting to his customers. He describes plush carpeting, bold trim work and bright lighting that wards off any feelings of seedy pornography establishments. In addition, Latiff has arranged the video and toy sections away from the dressing rooms to make women more comfortable while trying on garments.

Adam & Eve serves women from ages 18 to 65 looking for everything from exotic dancewear to sensual lingerie. Latiff mentioned Dreamgirl, Body Zone, Leg Avenue and Magic Silk as a few of the top selling brands. "I have the most dancers coming in to buy Body Zone," said Latiff. "Their colors are phenomenal and I've had zero complaints from anyone. They really like the product and since dancers really give all their products a workout, they come back for the same styles in different colors all the time."

In an effort to boost sales of exotic dancewear, Latiff added a 400-square-foot black-light room to his store. "I'm really trying to get the dancer business back," he said. "I put the product out and the orders have tripled." Right now Latiff is highlighting basic neon styles from Body Zone and a new glow in the dark line from Dreamgirl but is looking to add more brands to the section.

Another area doing well for Adam & Eve is plus sized lingerie. "Evidentially, not that many people carry it or wish to carry it," Latiff said after listening to complaints from his customers. "Big women like to look sexy just as much as any other woman does and it's my job to cater to them." Latiff has done well with Dreamgirl and Escante in the plus category. "They carry up to a 3X and offer the most variety," he said.

Customers shopping at Adam & Eve find that the newest and more interesting styles fly off the racks at an alarming rate. Latiff's daughter does the majority of the buying for the store and he is pleased with what she brings in. "She's usually not doing a lot of re-ordering, but rather buying something new," he said. "That's what's keeping women interested in coming back-they want to see something new. It also gives them a sense of urgency because if she comes in and sees something she likes, chances are the next time she comes it, it will be gone."