In This Recession, Even Venice Sex Shops Are Hurting

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People seem to believe that the recession can't touch adult-oriented businesses, but today blogger Andrew Sullivan published a poignant email proving that theory wrong, written by a couple who run a Venice sex shop. "It started with the video store up the street, then the female-owned surf shop, a restaurant or two, the auto parts store? you get the picture," they write. Now, their sales are down 35%, they've had to cancel health insurance to save money, and when they went to the Bank of America for a loan, they got laughed at. Perhaps the worst part: "Ironically, though in the business of promoting sex and intimacy for the last nine years, our own sexual frequency has hit an all-time low."
· The View From Your Recession