The tradition of advent calendars—a seasonal countdown to Christmas—has evolved from simple chalk marks on walls in 19th-century Germany to an increasingly elaborate and costly retail phenomenon. A recent example drawing attention is the Duchess of Sussex’s inaugural As Ever chocolate calendar, produced in collaboration with Los Angeles chocolatier Compartés. Featuring 24 chocolates inspired by the garden of her Montecito residence, with flavors ranging from strawberry and blackberry to orange marmalade, each piece is uniquely numbered in Meghan’s handwriting using edible gold luster. The calendar is priced at approximately £112, equating to about £4.67 per chocolate.
The As Ever calendar has sparked debate over its price, with some consumers criticizing its high cost online. The discussion took a controversial turn after the Rev Daniel French suggested buyers might instead opt for a £6 Fairtrade Christian calendar benefiting charity. This sparked backlash from some supporters of the Duchess, leading another priest who defended French to subsequently lock his social media account due to the online reaction.
This pricing controversy occurs alongside other high-end advent offerings. The Royal Collection Trust markets its own chocolate calendar at £12 for 95 grams, amounting to roughly £126 per kilogram—significantly more expensive than a standard Tesco Cadbury Dairy Milk calendar priced at £3 for 90 grams (£33 per kilogram). The Royal Collection edition features images of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and other royal themes, highlighting monarchy’s longstanding association with premium branding.
Luxury options extend beyond chocolate. Fortnum & Mason offers a £40 calendar containing 270 grams of truffles, priced at about £148 per kilogram. Meanwhile, Popcorn Shed’s “Naughty or Nice” calendar costs nearly £28 for 168 grams of flavored popcorn that includes unusual savory options like Garlic Breath and Liver and Onion, resulting in a cost of over £166 per kilogram.
Price comparisons become more nuanced with calendars featuring other gourmet items. Paxton & Whitfield’s cheese advent calendar costs £175 but contains at least 1.8 kilograms of cheese, reducing its price per kilogram to approximately £97. It arrives in three chilled deliveries, making it arguably a more reasonable luxury purchase. Similarly, Grind offers a coffee calendar with twelve 18-gram sachets of single-origin coffee for £29.95, equating to about £139 per kilogram or roughly £2.50 per cup, which some consumers may find justifiable compared to daily coffee shop expenses.
At the extreme end, the condiment advent calendar from Condimaniac retails at £169 and includes 16 full-sized items plus additional merchandise. The company explains part of the cost arises from the need for durable, leak-proof packaging capable of holding full bottles and jars, with limited production runs—500 units in 2025 and 1,000 in 2026—that sell out quickly.
Consumer data reveal that advent calendars maintain broad popularity in the UK. A recent survey found that 72 percent of Britons purchase one annually, with 84 percent favoring chocolate versions. While over half of buyers spend £10 or less, approximately 8 percent report spending over £100, including 28 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds who have at some point paid that amount.
The expansion of luxurious and high-priced calendars partly traces back to the influence of beauty advent calendars, which gained popularity after a 2010 Selfridges and L’Oréal launch featuring miniature luxury products priced at £60. These calendars pioneered the model of self-gifting, exclusivity, and daily surprises, later adopted by food brands despite the logistical challenges posed by heavier items like sauces and cheeses.
Today, the advent calendar has shifted from a simple countdown mechanism to a carefully curated product, often valued as much for its packaging, branding, and contents as for the traditional festive purpose. This transformation reflects a broader consumer trend toward experiential purchasing and the appeal of limited-edition luxury items during the holiday season.