An Examination of the Value Proposition of Luxury Beauty Advent Calendars

Extravagant beauty advent calendars are a prevalent sight across social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with individuals unboxing the newest editions. Influencers frequently express enthusiasm about the specific eyeliner, serum, or hand cream revealed behind the first door, often praising the aesthetic appeal of the packaging. However, a key question arises: do these items, often priced at hundreds of pounds, truly offer good value? Cissy Jones, a 27-year-old TikToker based in Manchester, asserts that they are. As a social media manager for the fashion brand PrettyLittleThing, who also creates content for her personal TikTok account, she had already uploaded approximately twelve advent calendar videos by early November. Her content covers a range of calendars, including those for chocolate, beauty items, wine, and even a Pets At Home calendar for her dog. She states, “There’s one – the Harrods 12-day one – where every product in it is something that I would buy,” concluding, “So I’m saving money.” The concept of cost savings is a central theme in brand marketing for these calendars. Companies often promote that a calendar priced at £250, for example, is “worth £1,000” when the value of its individual components is aggregated. Cissy cautions, “But you do have to want the actual products,” adding, “Otherwise, it’s a bit of a waste of money.” According to analysts, retailers are able to present these seemingly advantageous offers due to the substantial profit margins inherent in beauty products. Instead of primarily seeking significant direct profit from these calendars, companies often utilize them as a marketing strategy to encourage subsequent purchases of other products. Natalie Berg of NBK Retail comments, “A lot of retailers recognise advent calendars are a great way of getting new products to the consumer and a way to get them to convert.” Conversely, Sarah Johnson from Flourish Retail observes that although numerous appealing bespoke calendars exist, “a lot [of companies] just use advent calendars to shift stock that may not be popular, rather than having to discount it.” The contents of advent calendars come in various sizes, ranging from full-sized bottles to smaller versions, or a combination of both. Ms Berg suggests that smaller sizes might be preferable for consumers, as it allows them to sample products before committing to a full purchase. Holly May Arnott concurs, stating, “They’re a fantastic way to try new and trending products that I might have seen previously on social media.” The 26-year-old has been purchasing beauty calendars for several years, a tradition she shares with her mother. She describes the experience as “It’s like prolonging that Christmas morning thrill,” noting that it extends a feeling of excitement throughout December. Her most expensive purchase was a calendar from Selfridges, which she described as “such a luxury.” Nevertheless, she believes that while beauty calendars “can feel like a bit of an investment, they’re worth it for us.” Given the extensive range of products available, Cissy Jones advises consumers to select a preferred brand and assess the value for money by comparing the aggregate cost of individual items against the calendar’s price. Despite potential perceptions of good value, for some individuals, an expenditure exceeding £200 on an advent calendar remains an unaffordable luxury. Consequently, numerous fraudulent websites have emerged, seeking to exploit individuals searching for discounts on costly items. Emma Jones and Nihal, who requested her last name not be used, contacted the BBC after being deceived by fraudulent advertisements offering the Space NK £250 advent calendar for £28.99. Both women were drawn in by the perceived bargain and stated they would not pay the full retail price. Emma explained, “I wouldn’t feel comfortable spending that amount of money, mainly because I wouldn’t have that amount of spare cash.” Nihal commented, “They can be very expensive – I’m not the type that would pay full price.” She added, “I don’t think it’s worth it. If you’re going to use every single product then maybe yes. But sometimes in these prepacked stuff, you’ll probably only use two or three of these products.” Natalie Berg suggests that a contributing factor to the popularity of beauty advent calendars is consumers’ desire for self-indulgence. Furthermore, many consumers are prepared to pay the full price, and even more. Major retailers such as Space NK, Harrods, and Sephora have already completely sold out of their primary advent calendars. The Harrods beauty calendar, priced at £250, was advertised as containing items valued at £1,600, while Sephora’s £199 calendar stated its contents were worth £1,000. However, these calendars are being resold on eBay, with prices reaching up to £550 for the Harrods calendar and £399 for the Sephora calendar. Sarah Johnson explains, “It goes back to supply and demand – dynamic pricing.” She suggests that purchasing a calendar at an inflated price might be rational if the original retailer is out of stock and no other source is available, particularly if the buyer still perceives a saving compared to the total individual value of the items. This situation raises the question of why companies do not produce a larger quantity. Ms Johnson highlights that these are seasonal products, and retailers aim to avoid over-ordering, which would result in excess stock requiring discounts. Space NK informed the BBC that despite increasing its stock by 30% this year compared to last, it still sold out within two and a half weeks due to “unprecedented” demand. The company intends to further increase production next year. Despite the high cost of beauty calendars, Ms Johnson notes a “value perception” associated with them. She elaborates, “People could buy it to break it out and give [individual items] as gifts. There’s an element of people treating themselves and also being quite savvy and saving themselves money in the long run.” The increasing availability of these calendars led to speculation a few years ago that the market might have reached “peak” advent calendar. However, Cissy Jones disputes this, believing the opposite to be true. She asserts, “They always sell out every year, so I feel like there’s room for more.”