Average amount UK online shoppers planned to spend on different types of advent calendars and penetration across these types*

53.9% of online shoppers in the UK have bought or planned to buy an advent calendar this year and though the majority of these are traditional chocolate advent calendars, beauty advent calendars, which have only emerged in the last few years, are clearly capturing shopper spend despite the increasing cost of Christmas. Though there has been criticism over the price of Zoella’s advent calendar versus the perceived value, there is clearly appetite in the market with increasing choice from brands and retailers.

Retailers such as Debenhams and John Lewis, which have a variety of advent calendars from brands such as Molton Brown, Liz Earle, Edinburgh Gin, Yankee Candle and LEGO, are trying to capture extra spend by capitalising on an additional purchasing opportunity with these premium advent calendars acting as a supplementary pre-Christmas gift. Furthermore, these advent calendars are driving additional spend over the Christmas period for retailers by encouraging shoppers, who may not have otherwise bought a calendar, to purchase.