The Shanghai APIEXPO Adult Products Exhibition contributes to the "sunshine" process of China's adult sex industry

From April 18th to 20th, 2025, the 2025 Shanghai International Interest Life and Health Industry Expo (APIEXPO) grandly opened at the Cross-border Procurement Exhibition Center. This industry event, which brought together 537 exhibitors from around the world, covered an exhibition area of 30,010 square meters and attracted 51,629 professional visitors, not only showcased cutting-edge achievements such as smart wearable devices and artificial intelligence digital human technology, but also featured areas like the "International Premium Exhibition Zone" and the "AIDS Prevention Science Popularization Zone". This marks that China's sex industry is accelerating its transformation from a "secret economy" to a "sunshine industry".

First, technological iteration leads industrial upgrading

At this expo, the deep integration of intelligent technology and adult products has become the biggest highlight. The artificial intelligence digital human technology showcased by the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University has been successfully applied in scenarios of sex therapy and sex education, providing personalized consultation services through virtual avatars. The cloud-shaped smart massager launched by NetEase Chunfeng is equipped with a biosensing chip and can adjust the vibration frequency in real time according to the user's physiological response. The "Little Dolphin" series products of Adult Sugar are made of medical-grade silicone material and can be remotely controlled through an application. The proportion of female users exceeds 65%.

Material innovation is equally remarkable. Domestic condom brands such as Beilile showcased their ultra-thin 001 series products through the "National Condom Alliance". These products are made of new polyurethane materials, with a thickness that is only one-third of that of traditional latex products, while maintaining 100% physical barrier performance. During the exhibition, the China Reproductive Health Industry Association held a seminar on the revision of the group standard for "topical delay Agents", further standardizing the industry's technical standards and promoting the improvement of product quality.

Second, the global layout is accelerating

As the world's largest producer of adult products, Chinese enterprises are expanding their international markets through platforms such as APIEXPO. The "International Premium Exhibition Area" set up at the exhibition attracted international brands from 37 countries and regions, such as LOMA from Austria and ORION from Germany. Domestic enterprises can directly connect with overseas purchasers. In 2024, the export value of adult products from China increased by 28% year-on-year. Data from cross-border e-commerce platforms show that the repurchase rate of products such as lingerie and smart massagers in the European and American markets has reached 42%, while the Southeast Asian market has the fastest growth rate, with an annual growth rate exceeding 50%.

In the domestic market, the on-demand retail model has become a new growth point. Ele.me's "Hi-me" platform has achieved an ultra-fast delivery within 30 minutes through unmanned warehouse delivery. In 2024, the proportion of female users will reach 65%, and the average transaction value will be 30% higher than that of traditional e-commerce. Brands like Jiaohu have set up over 2,000 unmanned warehouses across the country through the online-offline integration (O2O) model, and their sales exceeded 1 million yuan during Valentine's Day.

Iii. Social Cognition Reconstructs the industrial ecosystem

Behind the industry transformation lies a profound change in social concepts. A 2024 survey by Xiaokang magazine shows that 71.4% of the respondents approved of premarital sex, an increase of 30% compared with 1994. As the main consumer group, the post-2000s generation openly discusses sex toys on social media platforms, and "pleasing oneself" has become a mainstream value. The rise of women's consumption to please themselves has driven the annual growth rate of the women's products market to 35%, and the search volume for categories such as smart jump eggs and erotic underwear on platforms like Xiaohongshu has increased by 210%.

At the policy level, the process of industry standardization is accelerating. The National Health Commission has incorporated sexual health into the "Healthy China" strategy and promoted medical institutions to set up sexual health clinics. The Ministry of Education is gradually incorporating sex education into the curriculum system of primary and secondary schools. By 2024, 23 provinces across the country have launched relevant pilot projects. During the exhibition, the Chinese Society of Sexology collaborated with enterprises to launch a "Sexual Health Science Popularization Zone", popularizing reproductive health knowledge through virtual reality experiences, expert lectures and other forms. The zone received over 5,000 visitors on a single day.

Iv. Challenges and Future Outlook

Although the industry has a broad prospect, it still faces multiple challenges. According to data from iResearch, the market size of adult products in China exceeded 200 billion yuan in 2024. However, the proportion of online channels is only 65%, and offline stores still have problems such as uneven distribution and low brand concentration. Furthermore, content review restrictions make brand promotion extremely difficult, with only 15% of enterprises being able to effectively disseminate information through social media.

In response to these problems, the industry is exploring ways to break through the predicament. The participating enterprises generally adopt a "de-toolization" design. For instance, the Little Monster brand has designed its products in cartoon shapes, increasing the concealment of the products by 80%. The APIEXPO organizing committee disclosed that the 2026 exhibition will add a "Big Health Industry Zone" to promote the integration of adult products with reproductive health, elderly care and other fields. It is expected that the market size will exceed 250 billion yuan by then.

From the secluded corner to the sunlight, the transformation of China's sex industry is not only a commercial revolution but also a microcosm of the progress of social civilization. With the coordinated advancement of technological innovation, global layout and concept renewal, this market worth hundreds of billions of yuan is writing a new chapter of "health, technology and inclusiveness".