Pornhub Opens Throbbing Pop-Up Store in NYC

NEW YORK CITY—Here’a great way to attract customers into your store: open up a luxury pop-up in an expensive, arty neighborhood and invite porn stars! Pornhub opened its first pop-up store in Manhattan’s SoHo, and on opening morning there was a line down the block. The sleek store, which debuted on Black Friday, will stay open through December 20. Because of the porn-themed store’s timing, by the time the New York Post printed its evening edition, the headline read “WHACK FRIDAY.” Porn stars Asa Akira and Dani Daniels were on hand to meet and take selfies with customers, with some customers driving in from New Jersey and Brooklyn, while other customers had no idea who the porn stars were. Camera crews from every major network were parked outside the store. The idea of the venue was to focus on the Pornhub-branded merchandise: a collection of “upscale streetwear,” including T-shirts, hoodies and jackets manufactured by Richardson. We popped in on Saturday where Asa Akira joked, “The place isn’t sleazy at all!” commenting “They really did a great job!” Other merchandise included a row of hanging handcuffs, as well as Taschen books and merchandise curated by the gift shop at the sextacular Museum of Sex. At the back of the store is a fluffy black bed customers can sit on and be live streamed on the Pornhub site. “There is no groping, sex or nudity allowed,” a worker at the store told us, as a couple of customers looked disappointed. But people were allowed to sit fully clothed on the bed and see what it felt like to be a cam girl or boy. “It’s like the giant kiss cam at the football game,” giggled one couple as they hugged and waved to whoever was watching them—instead of watching porn on Pornhub. Customers must be 18 to enter, and a sign is posted on the front door. As we left, we noticed a bunch of baby strollers parked outside as young couples took turns going inside to take a look. “I hope nobody thinks we’re porn stars now,” laughed the female half of one married couple leaving the store. “Who cares,” said the husband. “Whoever is looking at PornHub today will only hope we are. Maybe we can do it part-time.” PornHub Pop-up NYC is located at 70 Wooster Street, New York, NY, 10012.