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Stockroom.com, the oldest online novelty retailer specializing in high-quality BDSM gear and fetish wear, has acquired San Francisco-based Stormy Leather, a leading manufacturer of distinctive fetish clothing and toys.

Stormy Leather was founded in 1983 by Kathy Andrew, on an antique sewing machine in the original Sanchez Street basement location. The business later relocated to the American Industrial Center on Third Street, and then to its current location at 1158 Howard St., where the Stormy Leather retail store opened its doors on May 5, 1990.

In December 2002, Stormy Leather was purchased by the Florida-based corporation Eurotique, which continued to build the Stormy Leather business until this year, when the Eurotique owner Peter Grieco decided to retire.

Although Stockroom.com has been a steadily growing organism since its creation in 1988 by 21-year-old college student Joel Tucker, the company "definitely seems to be experiencing quite a growth spurt this year," according to Marketing Director Juli Crockett.

Prior to the recent Stormy Leather acquisition, Stockroom.com already was expanding its manufacturing with the debut of its Kinklab line and the acquisition of Syren, a latex fetish fashion manufacturer. The company also launched the redesigned Stockroom.com website in 2006, offering a host of new user-friendly features, as well as an all-male version of the Stockroom site, GayStockroom.com. In addition, Stockroom.com's long-awaited affiliate program launched in early 2006, allowing the company to provide for all toy stores in the Kink.com network of sites.

As it did with the Syren acquisition in 2006, Stockroom.com plans to bring the entire Stormy Leather production team on board and plans to renovate the Stormy Leather retail store.

"When Stockroom.com purchased Syren, our design team performed a makeover on both the store and the product line, [which] breathed new life into the company," says Stockroom/Syren Latex designer Jeff. "Reinvigorating the Stormy image will involve the same strategy of carefully redesigning the store and selectively editing and adding to the product line that we exercised with Syren Latex. The renovated Stormy store will not only be more aesthetically pleasing, but visitors will find it easier to shop." High-quality merchandise and superior visuals will be a key focus, as it has always been for Stockroom.com, Jeff adds.

Stockroom.com's Tucker states, "I am happy and excited about Stockroom's acquisition of Stormy Leather. These are two complementary enterprises, each with a long history of positive community involvement and industry leadership, and each founded upon similar values.

"Stormy is actually five years older than Stockroom, having been founded in 1983," he adds. "Both businesses have been pioneers in the industry in their own way: Stockroom was the first adult toy company on the internet, and has always been an all-around leader in terms of service, value, marketing, manufacturing, and efficiency; Stormy has an impressive history in leather/specialty retail, and excellent design—especially in its lines of products made by and for women. Both companies have had a long-standing commitment to quality product, community involvement, education, and ethics."

Before & After

To clear out the store for the renovation, there will be a huge "Before" blowout sale—beginning April 20 (yes, 4/20), and ending on April 30—at which time the Stormy store will be closed for renovations until May 15. At that point, the doors to the new, improved Stormy Leather will open and the "After" sale will begin. The Grand Opening play party and fashion show are scheduled for Friday, May 18, at the Stormy Leather retail store.

Skin Two once cited Stormy Leather as "possibly the best fetish store [it has] ever seen." The SF Bay Guardian 27th Annual Readers' Poll voted Stormy Leather "Best Leather Shop" just after the company's 18th birthday at the beginning of August 2001. Now, more than 20 years after its creation, Stormy Leather has been voted several times for "Best Women's Leather Store" by the Society for Human Sexuality. Stockroom.com intends to maintain and refine the award-winning history of excellence customers have come to expect from Stormy Leather.

"This acquisition also gives me all the excuse I need to spend a lot more of my own time in San Francisco, and I am looking forward to that," Tucker says. "The whole Stormy Leather staff seems to be excited and supportive about the new direction, and I am enjoying getting to know them better."