“To us, eroFame is all about showing the visitors our newest collections.”

Eric Idema, founder and CEO of EDC Wholesale, and Andre Visser, International Sales Director of the Dutch company, give EAN a preview of the treats awaiting the visitors at the EDC stand come eroFame. Both businessmen also stress the importance of trade shows – modern communication, the two state in our interview, will never be able to replace personal contact.

Not much longer until the start of eroFame. How far along are EDC Wholesale with your preparations for the show?
Eric Idema: The preparations are in full swing. Our design team is working on many new products and brands that will be presented at eroFame. We have designed a new EDC Wholesale booth to present our house brands and even though our booth offers more space than previous years, we still have more brands than space so we need to consider which brands we will highlight at our booth.

How much preparation is necessary if you want to ensure a perfect presentation at the show?
Eric Idema: After eroFame 2016, we evaluated the show and started making plans for eroFame 2017. Looking back, I realise we have been preparing for this show the entire year, especially in the development of new brands, which we planned to launch at eroFame from the very beginning. The closer we get to the show, the more time we spend on the actual preparation of the event itself, of course.

How important is the Hanover trade show for you in the larger scheme of things? What significance does eroFame hold for EDC Wholesale?
Andre Visser: Hanover is of great importance to meet people from the industry in person, we value this the most. While we launch our new brands, we always receive valuable feedback, which gives us the chance to improve ourselves. And Hanover is also the perfect event to meet everyone in one place.

Trade shows used to be essential for this industry. Is that still the case in this time of modern communication?
Andre Visser: Definitely. Trade shows are still essential. Online communication cannot measure up to personal contact, no matter how modern the technology. Shaking hands, talking face to face, sitting down for a cup of coffee. It all sounds very basic, but it really is very important to us.

What expectations does EDC Wholesale have regarding your own activities at eroFame? Also, what do you expect to see in terms of general trends in the market?
Andre Visser: To us, eroFame is all about showing the visitors our newest collections. We keep innovating and renewing our collections, and at eroFame, the public get to see it for the first time and we are eager to hear their responses and feedback on the new brands.

Our customers expect us to offer them something new each time they see us, in order for their customers to keep coming back to them. Our trade partners are constantly developing and launching beautiful new products and lines, which we are always excited to share with our customers. We can’t wait to see what our trade partners have in store this eroFame. The trends are so diverse, I couldn’t really single one out. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s new and trendy.

And what do your customers expect from EDC come eroFame?
Eric Idema: I guess they will expect what we always offer: a welcoming and enthusiastic sales team, hot and cold beverages, Dutch treats, and a moment of our time to catch up and see the beautiful new lines we developed this year.

How important is it to present new products? Or is it more about presenting the company as a whole?
Andre Visser: It’s a combination of both. We want to establish EDC Wholesale as a one-stop-shop distribution partner and at the same time, we present a collection of house brands with an innovative look and beautiful packaging designs.

Let’s talk about your own brands: What can the visitors expect in that regard? For instance, will you introduce new additions to the EasyToys collection?
Eric Idema: Yes, we will add many new additions to the EasyToys collections. The Dildo Collection will introduce some new items and we added some exciting lines to the highly popular Anal collection. Due to an unexpectedly high demand for the Fetish collection, we will be expanding this line with tremendous, new items.

One of the new lines for EasyToys Fetish is a nipple clamp collection, offering 15 different items for anyone, from beginners to the more experienced fetish sex toy user. This line comes in 15 stylish boxes, all in the same size. Which will make it perfect to present this line in a shop.

We are also introducing 6 new labels with 300 new items. One of the new labels I’m most excited about is Sinner Gear: Unbendable. This collection consists of over 145 quality metal products for Chastity, Urethral, ​​Cock & Ball, Anal, and Medical Play.

Sinner Gear Unbendable is a fantastic collection for the experienced fetish sex toy user, offering a wide range of the most popular products. We created a collection of quality products made from robust materials in order to match the fantasies and wishes of the user. The experience doesn’t end there, the products come with the necessary accessories, such as a handy manual and a cleaning kit, included in each product because safety and proper use are of great importance, especially at the extreme end of BDSM.

How would you sum up the general strong points of your private brands?
Eric Idema: Our designers are extremely good at concept development. The development of each and every house brand starts with a philosophy, which is defined in a style guide. After working out the layout of the brand’s look and feel, the design team start developing the packaging and marketing materials. This process involves going back to the drawing table as often as necessary. The results are impeccable and we’ve managed to create many best-sellers since we started developing our house brands.

How hard is it to successfully launch new products, brands, or even whole new product lines in a market as swamped with products as this one?
Eric Idema: It’s not easy, but we are mainly focussing on being innovative and distinctive. We try to offer a diverse collection with extraordinary packaging designs in order to stand out. As a wholesaler, we are constantly improving our service level, always finding ways of getting our products to its destination as fast as possible. Our long opening hours and 7 days a week shipping service is highly appreciated by our customers.

You also added a new third-party brand recently, Music Legs. What role is this brand going to play at EDC’s eroFame stand?
Andre Visser: We are very excited to have Music Legs in our assortment, it’s an important part of EDC Wholesale’s brand portfolio, like all of our third-party brands. We will present all the brands in our collection at eroFame, yet our product presentation at the show is mainly focussed on the new private labels. Visitors to our booth can be sure to learn all about the third-party brands at EDC Wholesale.

How do EDC pick the brands that you distribute? What criteria are your decisions based on in that regard?
Andre Visser: There are some elements in the process that must all come together in harmony. We take a good look at the quality of the distribution partner, what type of products they offer and whether they are innovative and new in Europe. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to gut feeling.

How can private brands and third-party brands harmonise? It would seem that sooner or later, they inevitable rip into each other’s sales, or is that a misconception?
Andre Visser: That is certainly a misconception. High-end brands differ from private brands due to the quality of the products, the price level, and promotion opportunities. This cannot be compared to private brands. There will always be a difference between private brands and third-party brand, and therefore, the end-consumer gets to choose different products in in different price segments.