Would you send your patients to a sex shop?!
Are you a sex therapist, pelvic floor physical therapist, or urologist in the DC metro area? As a medical practitioner or mental health professional, would you feel comfortable sending your clients to our shop?
We'd be honored to assist your patients in working through their challenges with sex, towards a more pleasurable sex life. Our trained sex education staff works to make all people feel comfortable and confident with sex. Read along as we walk you through who we are and how we approach customers here at Lotus Blooms.
First, Hiiiii! We are Lotus Blooms, the sex-positive, welcoming adult shop in the heart Old Town Alexandria, VA, just across the bridge from Washington DC. We call ourselves an adult shop, adult boutique, lingerie store, or a sex shop. All these terms work for us, but lots of folks feel more at ease thinking our shop is more "boutique-y" than "sex shop-y". There are plenty of sex shops that have a different vibe to them- dark alley, creepy person hovering in the corner, sticky floors. ;) So we understand that a distinction is helpful. We also know that boutique often means ex-pen-sive, and we have something for everyone's budget here at Lotus Blooms.
Educators First vs. Sales Staff
Our staff are trained as educators not salespeople, and they love walking our customers through the products, answering questions about how the toys work with different bodies, and making suggestions that will help you reach your pleasure goals!
Our Goal: Meet you Where You Are
Here at Lotus Blooms, we prioritize customer comfort by meeting everyone where they are. For some, this means taking time to ease into the store’s atmosphere without being asked multiple times, "How can I help you?" If customers let us know they're feeling nervous, we take extra care to make their visit as comfortable as possible.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Our Store Layout
Our store layout is designed to gradually increase in 'intensity' and adventurousness. You can dive straight back into the kink section or stay and browse amongst the games and lubes- it’s up to your comfort level- choose your own adventure & let us support you
Up front, you'll find friendly staff, lingerie, gifty items like games, massage oils, stickers and lubes. As you move through the store into the middle section you'll encounter more lingerie and most of our sex toys. And in the back, you'll find kinkier items like restraints and impact toys and all the strappy & latex-look lingerie. This layout allows customers to explore at their own pace, whether they're just browsing or diving into more adventurous products. We understand that while some may find these items exciting, others might feel overwhelmed, and we're here to explain and support either way.
Our Values
Originally founded by an emergency room nurse and now owned and operated by sex positive educators, our mission is to create a welcoming, educational space for adults to explore pleasure and ask questions about their bodies. We carefully curate our selection of sex toys and lubes, prioritizing body-safe, easy-to-clean materials and avoiding common allergens.
While we're not medical professionals, we provide fact-based recommendations and always encourage customers to seek advice from healthcare practitioners when needed. We’re proud to be queer-inclusive, non-assumptive, and open to discussing a wide range of relationship dynamics.
At Lotus Blooms, we let customers define what "sexy" means to them and offer support and suggestions within their unique context.