Two weeks ago I spotted Body Shop Advent Calendars for sale
And last week there was a whole section for advent calendars in our local department store.
I also noticed ‘Easter calendars’ this year, by Babor and Rituals, among others. They did not sell well. I think some of them are still hanging around in bargain bins, looking more battered by the week.
I loved it in the beginning when the traditional advent calendars with the little flap windows were replaced by windows containing chocolates or little beauty products.
I still like it when you can find advent calendar bargains on products you want to try, or your favourite products. But in recent years there has been an explosion of advent calendars containing everything under the sun. Some big brands have outsourced their calendars to mass-production, resulting in a lot of ‘filler products’ and cheap things, making them overpriced for what they are. I think the glut of calendars also turns me off. There are too many these days.
Two Swedish ‘influencers’ (man I hate that word) had to refund their customers last year after a mass outcry about the cheap quality and high price of their calendars. One was a chef, and one was a beauty influencer. Both of them admitted to outsourcing their calendars and having no control of what went into them. This meant that somewhere along the line, someone thought this was a way to make quick money.
I generally prowl the calendars from my favourite brands that are known to be good value (Kiehl’s, Clinique, Body Shop), count how many products I will use of the 24, work out how many are full size, and then wait until they go on deep discount after December 1. The most popular ones do sell out quickly, but I have never had a problem getting the ones I like up to 70% off after Christmas, and they usually have another gift with purchase with them. Kiehl’s is good about this. One year a friend and I divided up which products we wanted (she likes makeup, I like skincare), waited for the sale, and each paid half. That worked out very well.
I may buy a Kiehl’s one this year when it goes on half price, as the products were great last year, particularly as I was about to go on a month-long trip to South Africa and the smaller sizes were perfect. But I have worked so hard this year on using up all my product that I may give it a swerve this year.
I wonder if the glut of different calendars combined with the financial crisis will drop sales this year. Will people wait to buy them on the sales? What do you think?