Greek Exit From Euro Will Have Dire Consequences On Erotic Underwear Sales

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Only a quarter of the 300 to 400 sex shops that once existed in Athens have survived the crisis, and business looked bleak for those who brought their wares to Greece's biggest sex fair-the Athens Erotic Dream- last Friday..."Things look really bad," said stall holder Donatos Passaris, 38, standing in front of a long bench of vibrators, lotions and other items. "We're making just €20 [£16] a day, if at all," said Marianna Lemnarou, another retailer. "Some customers just don't feel like having sex - others can't afford to buy our stuff in the crisis." Just as other manufacturers have suffered from soaring wage costs since Greece joined the euro, local makers of erotic underwear have found it difficult to compete with cheaper rivals abroad. "The Chinese and the Turks are killing us," said Lefteris Papadopoulos, 55, who offers discounted hot pants, garters and stockings for €5 to €10 apiece...But a return to the drachma currency - feared by many - would deal the industry a further setback. Almost all sex toys sold in Greece are imported from countries such as Germany or Poland, and a devalued drachma would make them unaffordable. "A vibrator that now costs €20 would then cost €50," said Passaris. [Telegraph]

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