Britain’s biggest sex toy brand has been given royal approval with an award from the Queen.
Lovehoney will be able to use Her Majesty’s emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for the next five years.
Since 2015 the online retailer’s overseas sales have grown from £12 million to £56 million, offering a wide range of products from lingerie to bondage toys.
The growth has been recognised with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which is described as “the highest accolade for business success”.
Debbie Bond, chief commercial officer of Lovehoney, said: “We are thrilled to have received official recognition from the Queen.
“Her Majesty has been a wonderful supporter of Lovehoney as we have grown into being the world’s leading sexual wellness brand.
“Royal patronage will help us to create more jobs at our Bath headquarters and in our international offices and spread the sexual happiness message globally.
“The Queen is the UK’s greatest trade ambassador and royal approval shows again how mainstream shoppers and retail outlets are embracing sexual wellness products as never before and appreciating their importance in improving overall wellbeing — a particularly important message as we come out of lockdown after a stressful year living with the pandemic.”
Lovehoney is the UK’s biggest online adult retailer and has eight other websites — for the US, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, EU, Canada and New Zealand. It has a global customer base of 2.2 million people and a 300-strong workforce.
The company’s global expansion was boosted by winning the official licence to make all Fifty Shades of Grey pleasure products.
It is the second time that Lovehoney has won a Queen’s Award. Five years ago the founders, Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford, and other winners met the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at a garden party at Buckingham Palace to accept the Queen’s Award for International Trade.
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Queen helps sex toy brand Lovehoney hit new heights with award
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