ADULT products for couples are the hot ticket items this Christmas, according to the local sex industry. Massage lotions, novelty games and glow-in-the-dark lubricants have been walking off the shelves at adults stores around Canberra. Several shops have reported up to a 40 per cent increase in sales over the past month with couples making up a large percentage of the customers.

Adult World manager Jacinta Bishop said there had been a trend for many more couples to shop together and buy novelty products for Christmas, including toys and videos. ''They are looking to spice up their lives and intimacy,'' she said. She said the clientele of adult shops had also changed in recent years with more younger people and couples buying merchandise. ''It's not considered a naughty thing any more, as more and more people are embracing their sexuality.