The worst value advent calendars revealed as shoppers risk paying up to 50% more for treats
THE countdown to Christmas is on and what better way to get in the mood than with a little treat in the lead-up to December 25?
Advent calendars have become ever more decadent and elaborate catering to a wide range of tastes and budgets.
In some cases, an advent calendar is a great way to get a large haul of goodies for less.
For example, the Charlotte Tilbury advent calendar features £243 worth of products but has a price tag of just £170. Even better it’s now in the sale at John Lewis so you can get it for £136.
Or, the Abbott Lyon 2024 jewellery calendar is £249 and features £ 500 worth of products.
The Beauty Bay advent calendar also contains £345 of products with a price tag of £100.
However, not all calendars are top-value.
In some cases, products would be far cheaper bought separately – meaning you’re paying a markup just for a load of fancy packaging.
Here are some of the 2024 calendars that you’d be better off swerving…
Walkers, £10, Iceland
The Walkers advent calendar is £10 from Iceland and features 24 doors with a pack of crisps in each.
However, you can get a multi-pack of 20 bags for £4.85 also from Iceland.
It means that if you bought two packs, you would get 40 bags of crisps – almost double the amount in the calendar, for a lower price.
Caffe Nero, £17.99, caffenero.com
Caffe Nero this year launched its first-ever advent calendar.
The Italian coffee chain’s calendar features 24 days of coffee surprises.
Each door reveals a Caffè Nero coffee packed into Nespresso capsules.
The calendar is available in stores and was on the Caffe Nero website for £17.99 though it’s now sold out online.
However, it’s not the best value.
Through Amazon, you can currently buy 30 capsules of Caffe Nero for £12. That’s more coffee for a lower amount than the advent calendar.
A spokesperson for Caffe Nero said: “Our first ever Coffee Advent calendar is made up of 24 capsules, hand-picked and packed from our selection of signature blends and single origin coffees.
“It’s the only way you can currently buy this unique selection altogether – the Amazon product you reference, for instance, is comprised of our Classico capsules only.”
Loyalty members can also now currently buy the Advent Calendar with 50% off on the Caffe Nero app.
Lindt, 5ft Advent Calendar, £180, Costco
The Lindt 5ft advent calendar certainly stands out. But at £180 at Costco, it doesn’t come cheap.
Each of the 24 doors contains a full-size Lindt chocolate treat including gold reindeer and bears, as well as 200g boxes of Lindor.
However, £180 for 24 days works out at £7.50 a window.
You can currently buy the 100g chocolate reindeer for £3.15 on the Lindt website and for a similar cost at most UK supermarkets.
This means you are paying more than double the price for the treat when it’s in the calendar.
Online fans have worked out you can get all the treats for a far lower cost of £87.25.
A spokesperson for Lindt said the price of the calendar is at the discretion of the individual retailer.
They added: “We strive to deliver enhanced consumer experience with advent calendars, creating excitement every day of the festive season.”
Lily’s Kitchen, £9.99, lilyskitchen.co.uk
You can even get an advent calendar for your cat these days.
This one from Lily’s Kitchen is £9.99 and features 24 days of treats for your feline friend.
Overall it contains 42g of treats.
However, a 60g packet of Lily’s Kitchen treats bought through the site is ordinarily £2.50.
That makes the calendar almost four times more expensive for fewer treats for your pet.
Joe and Seth’s gourmet popcorn advent calendar, £30 reduced to £15, Harvey Nicholls
Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar is illustrated with a snowy scene of its factory hard which folds out revealing 24 doors.
The calendar has 18 different flavours of its popcorn in mini snack-size bags, as well as milk chocolate popcorn bites.
This adds up to 175g of popcorn in exchange for the £30 price-tag, however, it has now been reduced to £15 online at harveynichols.com.
In comparison, it is £4 for 75g bought in a pack on the brand’s website. By spending £12, you’d get 225g of popcorn in packs.
More popcorn for less than even the reduced price of the calendar.
In response to The Sun’s query, Adam Sopher chief executive at Joe & Seph’s, said: “We are a small, family business and so every single one of the 24 packs, is packed by hand (not machines) by our team in our London Popcorn HQ into the advent calendar.
“This is time-consuming and so a lot of labour cost but the only realistic way to make a product like this for a business of our size.”
He added: “Whilst our calendar does have a premium price point, it is still a much more cost-effective way to taste 19 flavours of popcorn than purchasing the (larger) packs separately.
“Of course, if one of our customers loves just one or two of our award-winning popcorn flavours then absolutely it’s best to purchase the larger pack size, but for a popcorn lover who wants to taste lots of our (over 80 flavours), this really is the perfect gift.”
How to save money on Christmas shopping
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.