How advent calendars became big money
Advent calendars have evolved from simple religious or chocolate-based items into a billion-dollar industry featuring luxury and high-end retail products. Retailers are now opening waitlists months in advance to capitalize on the growing consumer demand.
Why it matters
This shift illustrates how traditional seasonal customs have been successfully commodified by luxury brands to drive significant retail revenue.
You might think that late August is far too early to be talking about anything even remotely festive – but Christmas is clearly, already on many people's minds.
Or, at least, the days leading up to Christmas. Because, as of now, the wait lists for some of the most sought-after advent calendars are now open. In some cases they’ve been open for weeks.
That includes those being sold by some well-known high street retailers, as well as a number of high-end and luxury brands. But it’s not just the high end that is already preparing for December – some retailers are already displaying a wide range of kid-focused advent calendars too.
All of these are clamouring to take a piece of what is now a billion-dollar industry – one that’s emerged in a little over a decade.
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