Half of Europe Shops in Secret 🤫

Welcome to MarketMaze. Today we peel back the layers on Europe’s not-so-innocent shopping habits and the booming sexual wellness market. Behind closed doors and incognito tabs, the numbers tell a story of secrecy, shifting norms, and surging demand. Spoiler: you might not be the only one hiding your latest purchase.

Main Story
🤫 Half of Europe Shops in Secret
📈 Sexual Wellness Market to Hit $39B by 2030

Insights🧠
🏁 Men Start With the Numbers, Women Finish the Race
📉 America’s Bedroom Drought: Sex Is Down, Screens Are Up
🛒 Shopping Incognito: Privacy Is the New Luxury

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- Artur Stańczuk, MarketMaze Founder

Over half of Europeans admit they’ve bought something in secret to avoid conflict or embarrassment at home. The latest YouGov survey for Galaxus polled 2,651 adults across five countries, lifting the lid on stealth shopping’s surprising scale and motives. If you think your partner, flatmate, or parent isn’t hiding something, think again.

A staggering 55% of Europeans have made at least one secret purchase in the past year. Just 45% say they always shop openly. One in five say they’ve kept a purchase under wraps sometimes, with another third confessing they’ve done it rarely. This isn’t just a niche quirk—it’s mainstream behavior fueled by the desire to dodge arguments and sidestep shame.

Not all countries are equally secretive. In Italy and Austria, nearly 60% of adults admit to hidden purchases—far higher than the 47% found in France. Germans and Swiss fall somewhere in the middle, but even France’s “most honest” shoppers see nearly half of respondents confessing to stealth spending. Culture, shame, and living with parents all play a role.

The younger you are, the more likely you’ll keep your shopping a secret. Six in ten under-30s say they’ve bought something in secret over the past year, compared to just four in ten over-60s. Age is the strongest predictor: the younger the shopper, the more common the secrecy. Older Europeans are more likely to say they never hide purchases, while Gen Z leads the stealth revolution.

Stealth shoppers are most likely to hide purchases from their partners—56% say their romantic other is the main person kept in the dark. Parents come next at 38%, especially for younger adults still at home. Kids, friends, and even colleagues follow, but the numbers plummet. At the end of the day, Europe’s biggest household secret? What you just bought online.

So what are people most embarrassed about? Sex toys and lubricants top the charts—34% say they’d keep these buys hidden. Fast food, sweets, and clothes come next, along with medications, hygiene products, and tobacco. Whether it’s a chocolate binge, a luxury watch, or something for the bedroom, secrecy crosses every category. If you’re hiding your purchases, you’re in good company.

Sources: 🔒 Available for MarketMaze+ subscribers

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The sexual wellness market is no longer niche—it’s booming, doubling in a decade. According to Precedence Research, new data shows how Asia, North America, and product mix are reshaping the industry. This analysis breaks down the story in three quick charts.

The global sexual wellness market is on a tear, set to hit $39.3B by 2030—up 44% from $27.2B in 2025. This sustained 7.6% annual growth rate is driven by rising health awareness, shifting attitudes toward sex, and mainstreaming of “taboo” categories like sex toys. Tech and medical advances are boosting the segment, while digital retail and social media continue to fuel demand. By 2034, the market will blow past $52B, as more consumers seek products for pleasure, health, and connection.

Asia Pacific claims the top spot in global sexual wellness spend, grabbing 38% of the 2024 market—$9.6B across nearly 5B people. But North America, at 29% share, absolutely dominates per-capita spend: $12.2 per person, compared to just $2 in Asia. Europe sits in the middle at $9 per citizen, while Latin America lags at $2.9. This split highlights where sexual wellness is still emerging as a mainstream category versus markets where it’s already in the shopping cart.

Sex toys aren’t just big business—they’re the business, making up 69% of global sexual wellness sales, or $17.4B in 2024. Condoms trail with a 10% share ($2.5B), lubricants clock in at 5% ($1.3B), and “others”—from sprays to stimulants—make up the rest. Growth is powered by Gen Z and Millennial demand for wellness-first, tech-enabled, and body-positive products, especially for women. Expect condoms and e-commerce to grab more share as stigma fades and retail channels expand.

Sources: 🔒 Available for MarketMaze+ subscribers

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Globally, more boys are born, but by old age, women pull way ahead—especially past 80, where men become a rare species. By 100, women outnumber men four to one. This isn’t just trivia… it shapes everything from healthcare demand to the market for retirement communities and end-of-life products. Aging is gendered, and every brand targeting older consumers needs to internalize that. 👉 Our World in Data

Sex isn’t just declining—it’s in free fall. In the ‘90s, over half of adults had weekly sex. Fast forward: only 37% do. The “sex recession” is even hitting married couples—just 28% of 55-64-year-olds keep it weekly. The culprit? Less partnering, digital everything, and a Great Rewiring of relationships. Less face time, more FaceTime. If your business is in relationships, wellness, or anything adjacent, the new normal is loneliness at scale. 👉 Institute for Family Studies

Forget stereotypes about wild married lives. In the late ‘90s, 83% of young married couples had weekly sex—now it’s 75%, and the drop is even steeper with age. The 45-54 cohort plummeted from 53% to 47%. 55+? Just 28%. The Great Sex Recession isn’t just for singles—it’s married folks, too. Digital distractions aren’t just ruining dating; they’re killing date night. 👉 Institute for Family Studies

Six in ten Europeans admit they buy online to avoid embarrassment—anonymity is the real killer feature. Over half prefer neutral packaging to keep purchases on the down-low. Call it “secret shopping” or just human nature—digital commerce isn’t just about convenience, it’s about avoiding awkward glances. Retailers: Want more sales? Make discretion your default. 👉 Galaxus

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