Ok so you may have seen the About Us page, within the pages of this website, but did you ever wonder how we got to where we are now, and where we have been on this wonderful journey that is Nice ’n’ Naughty. Well let me give you our brief history of time; from our humble beginnings in Chester in 1999 to where we are now, and what the future holds.

How it all started.

Back in the late 1990’s, the thought of walking into a sex shop was not the same as it is today, with the high street being dominated by some very seedy sex establishments, with blacked out windows or “live girls” trying to tempt you in. Our director, Trish Murray, though that there had to be a nicer way of shopping for fun stuff. So, on the 31^st July 1999, Chester Nice ‘n’ Naughty opened its door at 129 Brook Street, with pleasant music, clean carpets, the best products and welcoming staff. And so, this dynasty was born.

Over the next few years more shops were added, with Nice ‘n’ Naughty Warrington opening their doors in 2000 and Chester knocking through to 127, double the size. This followed with the openings of  Nice ‘n’ Naughty Wigan, Liverpool and Southport not long after, making Nice ‘n’ Naughty the premium licensed adult chain in the North West.

But we knew our customers would not be satisfied with just this. So, we ventured further, across the Chester border and into Wales, opening Nice ‘n’ Naughty stores in Aberystwyth and Bangor. Many of these locations had never had an adult store in their town or city before, but all welcomed us with open arms. Well, nearly all. But once they got to know us, and realised we were the M&S of S&M and not the old school, seedy sex shops of yesteryear, we were welcomed, and these shops have had some of our most loyal customers.

The Growth of Nice ‘n’ Naughty.

Within 5 years of opening, Nice ‘n’ Naughty had 7 stores across the Northwest and Wales, and we weren’t finished there. In 2005 we opened our Manchester store, followed by a second in Liverpool, then Bolton and Wednesbury, and in 2009 we added Nice ‘n’ Naughty branches in Brighton, Bristol, Leeds and Newcastle, as well as our online store, making Nice ‘n Naughty the 3^rd largest chain of licensed Adult Stores in the UK.

Over the 10 years from first opening our Chester branch, Nice ‘n’ Naughty picked up numerous industry awards, including the best UK Retail Chain for 7 years running, along with European Retail Chain of the Year, with more awards in the following years.

The secret of this success was not just the incredible stores we had, but also our biggest asset, the Nice ‘n’ Naughty family. We still have members of the team here from those early days, sharing their knowledge of exemplary customer care and detailed product knowledge to the newer members of the team and customers alike.

The Changing Face of Nice ‘n’ Naughty

With over 2 decades in retail, Nice ’n’ Naughty has seen quite a few changes. From the introduction of R18 Videos and DVDs, with their rise and fall as technology changed and downloads became the go to for a lot of people. Then there is the technology involved in toys! 20 years ago, the idea of a rechargeable toy, that can be controlled from anywhere in the world via your telephone’ was something you would expect to see on Tomorrows World along with the likes of the Phillips Laser Disk! I wonder what ever happened to the laser disc….

Along with the changes of the products, our shops have changed as retail has changed. Over the years our customer base has changed, and along with the straight man that shopped in 1999, we started to see more and more female customers who wanted to take charge of their own pleasure, along with couples buying something they could share the pleasure of. Nice ‘n’ Naughty has always been an inclusive environment, and we are proud to welcome the spectrum of genders we have today, providing a retail environment that is safe, welcoming and supportive.

As retail became more demanding, Nice ‘n Naughty evolved with it. We are now on our 3rd incarnation of the famous Nice ‘n’ Naughty Logo; Nina, our original mascot was retired to digital pastures anew, and our remaining stores underwent major transformations in 2020, becoming Boutique by Nice ‘n’ Naughty, to cater for the demands of the changing market. But the biggest change we have seen is the change in the High Street, from physical stores to online, with many well-known brands leaving the high Street or reducing their branches.

Over the last 4 years we had to close several our stores due to rising costs and a change in the demographics of the areas they were located, while others were forced to close due to the redevelopment of the buildings and surrounding areas.

When the pandemic hit the world in 2020, taking away with it many of the most well-known High St brands for good, Nice ‘n’ Naughty was in the strongest position to remain, with our brand new and recently relocated Warrington branch of Boutique by Nice ‘n’ Naughty opening its doors for the first time after the initial lockdown was lifted, we brought sex literally to the High St, taking centre stage, sitting on one of Warrington’s main shopping streets next to the Golden Square Shopping Centre.

Then there is the explosion in social media over the last 20 years. And not one to be left behind, we have embraced them all, with profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, along with videos on TikTok, where you can see not only inside our stores if you haven’t been in for a while, but also some of our newest products and the escapades of our resident Barbie, Ken and that very naughty Elf!

The Future of Nice ‘n’ Naughty

Well, we are no Mystic Meg, but we do know the future is bright.

Our Boutique stores are thriving, the website is going from strength to strength, and our loyal customers know that we are the best of the best. Our director, Trish has the same passion for Nice ‘n’ Naughty today as she did in 1999, and this little independent, UK owned business has lots to look forward to in the coming years.

We don’t know what new technology will deliver with new and different toys, and if new stores will be solar powered and filled with solar powered toys. What we do know is we will still be here, delivering our very special, award-winning customer service through our online outlet and Boutique Stores, ensuring all our loyal customers, over these 20 plus years have the best service and product range. And what else, I hear you ask. Well, you will just have to wait and see. After all, we are the M&S of S&M.

The futures bright, the futures Nice ‘n’ Naughty.

Check out our store locations here.