50 Shades of Grey exploded onto the market in Australia , smashing book sale and box office records with it 's tale of the pursuit of pleasure that scandalised some and fascinated others . Despite backlash from some critics , the film sold out 400 sessions before the movie had premiered- and new figures have shown that the controversial film may have influenced a dramatic increase in sales of adult toys sold in the country . A 30 % increase in sales volumes at online adult stores was recorded in the week following the film 's release on Valentine 's Day , with Melbourne topping the list as Australia 's friskiest capital city , taking 44 % of the very special deliveries . A 30 % increase in sales volumes at online adult stores was recorded in the week following the film 's release . Alexandra Lewis , 35 , owns and operates Andracova , a Melbourne-based online adult store specialising in female orientated products to encourage and empower women . Ms Lewis said that her store experienced a significant spike in sales following the release of the film , and that she believes the figures reflect a greater openness in discussing female pleasure . 'The 50 Shades of Grey books and film are a good highlighter of a cultural trend , whether you think they 're brilliant or a grammatical error , ' said Ms Lewis . 'It has opened the door to a female discussion on pleasure and intimacy for women , one that they have n't finished having yet , ' she said . 'There has definitely been an increase in the target market who are thinking about the products and it has also created a broader market of people considering trying something new for the first time . ' 'The 50 Shades of Grey books and film are a good highlighter of a cultural trend , ' said Ms Lewis . 50 Shades of Grey exploded onto the market in Australia , smashing book sale and box office records . 'Andracova has seen a spike in sales of entry-level products and it seems like there is more openness to experimentation , ' Ms Lewis said . Average sales volumes increased to a staggering 46 % in the six months leading up to the movie ’ s release . eWAY , who power more than 17,000 Aussie online stores , recorded daily average sales volumes increasing steadily to a staggering 46 % in the six months leading up to the movie ’ s release , with a notable spike occurring in February . 'Andracova has seen a spike in sales of entry-level products and it seems like there is more openness to experimentation , ' Ms Lewis said . The online adult store released a Fifty Shades of Grey tie-in pack , featuring hand cuffs , a whip , a blindfold , and a collar and chain set . 'Especially in terms of BDSM products , we stock light bondage items such as small whips , bondage tape and beginners handcuffs , and there has definitely been an increase in the sale of those , ' Ms Lewis said . Katherine Lewis founded Andraconda to provide a space for women to explore their desires in a safe place . Andracova released a Fifty Shades of Grey pack , with hand cuffs , a whip , a blindfold , and a collar and chain set . Ms Lewis said there had been an increase in beginner level adult toy sales . 'There seems to be a changing philosophy that is very female orientated and products are now being marketed towards women rather than men , ' she said . 'It 's a great time to encourage people to look at products for the first time , and the website traffic shows that more and more people are dipping their finger into the pie ' . Melbourne represented 44 % of the adult toy sales , with Sydney comprising 24 % of sales , with Perth , Brisbane , and Adelaide making up the rest of the sales . Ms Lewis said that Melbourne may represent a greater proportion of sales as there is a strong community of eroticism around the city . 'We have a lot of great stores and vibrant erotic events held around Melbourne , ' she said . 'It 's a great time to encourage people to look at products for the first time , ' said Ms Lewis . 'There seems to be a changing philosophy that is very female orientated and products are now being marketed towards women rather than men , ' Ms Lewis said . Ms Lewis said that Melbourne may represent a greater proportion of sales as there is a strong community of eroticism around the city . 'Melbourne has a lot a strong leaders in the area and female empowerment is really embraced . ' 'We are definitely happy to try something new . ' eWAY ’ s Matt Bullock said that February has been a high-performing month for the broader category , with florists experiencing 110 per cent increases in sales in two weeks leading up to Valentine ’ s day , too . 'Sometimes contextual events influence online sales in ways that might surprise you , ' he said . 'There is a shift to online retailing in general in Australia anyway — we ’ ve seen a 35 per cent increase in overall sales in the past 12 months . But clearly with categories like this there is added appeal for shoppers to go online , as it ’ s a bit more discreet . ' 'We have a lot of great stores and vibrant erotic events held around Melbourne , ' Ms Lewis said .
Since the film premiere of 50 Shades of Australia adult toy sales have peaked . A 30 % increase in sales volumes online were recorded in one week . Melbourne topped the list , taking 44 % of the special deliveries . Alexandra Lewis , the owner of Andraconda , an online adult boutique , said the film has opened up a discussion about experimentation . She said that her store has recorded an increase in BDSM merchandise .