Why are there so many sex stores on the A1 as Alan Carr jokes about horny drivers

Between the fields, laybys and roundabouts of the A1, there is another sight that tends to grab the attention of unwitting motorists speeding up and down the country.

On Britain’s oldest and longest road, dotted along the side are stores selling unusual wares – sex shops.

Comedian Alan Carr was so taken aback by the regular occurrence of the outlets while making his way down the A-road, that he asked on Twitter: “Just seen a second drive through sex shop – how horny are the drivers on the A1?”

From Yorkshire to Bedfordshire, the shop fronts have caused everything from embarrassment for parents asked to explain the meaning of the bold signs to inquisitive children, all the way to bemusement to those just looking to get from A to B as quickly as possible.

So just why has this London to Edinburgh trunk road become known for sex shops?

Why are there so many sex shops on the A1?

Anonymity, empty restaurant units and free advertising appear to be the main reasons for the rise of the A1’s sex-related retail boom.

Walking into a store selling pornography, sex toys and other items of pleasure would appear to be a daunting prospect for some punters.

So much so that they would rather drive a few miles out of town to browse in relative anonymity, surrounded only by fields and the hum of four lanes of traffic.

Graham Kidd, a director of Pulse & Cocktails, which has a number of stores along the busy stretch, told the BBC one of the reasons why his firm had chosen to set-up along the A1 was because it offered shoppers a “discreet” experience.

“You’re not likely to run into your neighbour inside,” he said.

That opinion appeared to be backed up by online commentators, with a user of social media website Reddit going by the name of Thomas Eichorst posting: “I’d be much more comfortable using an adult store on the A1 than I would be in my home town.

“The chances of bumping into a family member or someone from work would be tiny.”

Where one business fails, another can succeed

Little Chef, the former chain of motorway restaurants, used to be a regular pit-stop for motorists and families looking to replenish while making their way around the UK.

But the eatery’s collapse in 2007 meant there were large properties sat vacant by roadsides.

According to Mr Kidd, the empty sites were ideal for transforming into “superstores” that are able to house enough shelving to stock up on the weird and wonderful gadgets and costumes that shoppers might be interested in.

His company Pulse converted former Little Chefs in Grantham, Sawtry and Pontefract into sex shop havens in just a four-year window.

“The three that we’ve converted are ideal sex shop premises,” he told Vice.

“They are the perfect size, enabling us to stock a large selection of toys, lingerie, bondage items etcetera – they have excellent parking and are in great locations.”

Free advertising

Owners of the units along the Great North Road say the idea of being by a major road has its draw for a reason beyond anonymity – it is also a source of free advertising, with tens of thousands of motorists using the route on a daily basis.

Mr Kidd told Vice: “People see us on their way to work or holiday. It’s basically free advertising.”

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