Lovehoney
Lovehoney is a sexual wellness company whose surveys offer insights into dating trends and user behaviors for dating operators.
Maintained by the High Intent newsroom. Last updated July 31, 2026. Led by founder and CEO Bill Alena, backed by a team of industry experts with over 100 years of online dating experience between them.
Lovehoney: key facts
- Type
- Other
- Founded
- 2002
- Headquarters
- Bath, United Kingdom
- Parent company
- Lovehoney Group
- Headcount
- 201-500
- Brands
- Lovehoney
- Website
- lovehoney.com
- Crunchbase
- Profile
- Profile
What Lovehoney does
Lovehoney is a UK-based retailer specializing in sex toys and lingerie. The company conducts surveys that offer insights into consumer behavior related to sexuality and relationships. Recent Lovehoney surveys indicate generational differences in dating preferences, particularly regarding political compatibility among Gen Z. These findings suggest that Gen Z adults, especially women, are less willing to date individuals with differing political views compared to older demographics. This trend has implications for dating app design and user matching algorithms. Lovehoney surveys also highlight varying motivations for sexual activity across different demographics. For example, LGBTQ+ individuals, Gen Z, and Millennials are more likely to use sex for wellness purposes, such as stress or headache relief, than heterosexual or older groups. This indicates a potential gap in mainstream dating app offerings, which often prioritize romance over other aspects of intimacy and connection. The company's data can inform dating operators about evolving user needs and product opportunities.
What operators should know
- 01Gen Z often prioritizes political alignment in dating, limiting their dating pool.
- 02Many users, especially LGBTQ+, view sex for wellness, not just romance.
- 03Dating apps may miss opportunities by not addressing functional intimacy needs.
- 04Operators must choose to filter or de-emphasize political views in matching.
Questions operators ask about Lovehoney
Lovehoney's surveys suggest that Gen Z adults, particularly in the UK, are significantly less likely to date individuals with differing political views compared to older generations. This trend could lead to a smaller dating pool for Gen Z and presents a challenge for dating app operators deciding whether to emphasize political compatibility or remove such filters.
Lovehoney: timeline
- Gen Z's Political Filters Are Pricing Out a Generation
A Lovehoney survey found only 14% of UK Gen Z adults would date someone with different political views, less than half the rate of older generations. This trend, especially pronounced among Gen Z women, further shrinks an already limited dating pool. Dating operators face a strategic decision: either remove political filters to encourage cross-political dating or lean into niche, ideologically homogeneous products, risking further market fragmentation and declining engagement.
- LGBTQ+ Users Treat Sex as Wellness. Apps Still Write Romance.
A Lovehoney survey found LGBTQ+ individuals, Gen Z, and Millennials frequently use sex for wellness reasons like stress or headache relief, at rates higher than heterosexual or older groups. Mainstream dating apps, by focusing solely on romance, are missing a significant product opportunity to serve these user needs. This gap means smaller, more niche platforms may gain market share by addressing the functional aspects of intimacy.
Our coverage of Lovehoney
2 stories
Gen Z's Political Filters Are Pricing Out a GenerationA Lovehoney survey found only 14% of UK Gen Z adults would date someone with different political views, less than half the rate of older generations. This trend, especially pronounced among Gen Z women, further shrinks an already limited dating pool. Dating operators face a strategic decision: either remove political filters to encourage cross-political dating or lean into niche, ideologically homogeneous products, risking further market fragmentation and declining engagement.
LGBTQ+ Users Treat Sex as Wellness. Apps Still Write Romance.A Lovehoney survey found LGBTQ+ individuals, Gen Z, and Millennials frequently use sex for wellness reasons like stress or headache relief, at rates higher than heterosexual or older groups. Mainstream dating apps, by focusing solely on romance, are missing a significant product opportunity to serve these user needs. This gap means smaller, more niche platforms may gain market share by addressing the functional aspects of intimacy.
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