Brands come to the fore as consumers seek out beauty, alcohol and toy-led advent calendars.
More brands and celebrities are introducing advent calendars into the market for this festive season, with consumers looking to purchase more extravagant calendars, according to new research.
55.6% of UK consumers surveyed by GlobalData stated that they intend to purchase at least one advent calendar this year, up from 53.4% last year.
And, while chocolate advent calendars remain the most popular type purchased (73.6% of calendar shoppers intend to purchase one this year), more extravagant calendars including beauty products, alcohol miniatures and toys are becoming more popular.
13.5% of those surveyed said they would purchase a beauty advent calendar, 11.3% would purchase an alcohol calendar and 11.4% would pick up a toy calendar.
A host of licensed character brands have advent calendars on the market this year, covering the usual chocolate offerings through to more extravagant products.
LEGO – which has enjoyed sell out success with previous advent calendars – has a number available across its various brands including LEGO Star Wars, with fans finding themed minifigures behind each of the 24 doors.
Harry Potter, PJ Masks, PAW Patrol, My Little Pony, Minions, Reese’s, Cath Kidston, Hatchimals, Barbie, Jack Wills, Bailey’s, Snaffling Pig and Disney Princess are just some of the brands with advent calendars this year.
“With more choice in non-chocolate advent calendars than ever before and these tending to have a much higher price point, a wider range is available tempting consumers and encouraging them to spend more on these products,” said Zoe Mills, retail analyst at GlobalData. “Retailers must get ahead of the game early, with 50.8% of advent calendar shoppers stating that they like to purchase these products promptly due to concerns regarding limited availability.
“For brands the motto must be ‘once they are gone, they are gone’ to encourage impulse purchases and create a sense of exclusivity.”
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