The opening of the first box of the Advent calendar is approaching. But this Sunday, December 1, inside, it may not be chocolate. Many businesses, in very varied sectors of activity, sell Advent calendars with their products. Sometimes it's not even profitable but it becomes a must-have for the end of year celebrations and a good PR move for the stores.
On the door of the “Ponpon” cheese factory in the city center of Valencia, a poster announces that you can already pre-order your “cheese” advent calendar. Inside, Minéa Belachheb opens one of the wooden boxes, shaped like a camembert. In a few days, the manager will place 24 pieces of cheese inside.
“A spotlight”
Cow, goat, sheep, local or foreign cheeses, the goal is to discover a wide range. The Advent calendar costs 75 euros. Every year for three years, she has sold around ten. “It’s not necessarily profitable but it’s a good spotlight. People find it nice, they talk about it. So it germinates a little seed in their heads and they come back to us later,” explains Minéa Belachheb. Freshness obliges, it is necessary come and pick up your calendar in two installments. The manager reassures: “We make them at the last minute so that they are as fresh as possible when cutting.”
Advent calendars are easily found in Drôme and Ardèche. nougats, sausages, beauty products, wines or even beer. The craft brewery La FABrique also sells large calendars each year with 24 beers of 33 centiliters inside. A sort of “best of” new releases of the year and classic beers for 69 euros.
“It’s communication, people share beers on the weekend with friends so it brings us a new audience,” explains the director. The brewery says it sells around thirty each year. “For those who don’t like chocolate, why shouldn’t they have the right to have their Advent calendar?asks Sarah Martelli, we are adults but above all big children.”
Advent calendars… erotic
And exclusively for adults, there are even erotic Advent calendars. Christophe, manager of the “Aux Caprices des Anges” boutique in Portes-lès-Valence, sells around ten of them each year. “Oh no, it’s not chocolate!”he smiles while presenting the products. Inside, we find lingerie, handcuffs, massage oils or even sex toys. “Everything to have a good evening with winter coming”argues the seller.
Gabin Grulet
Like a classic Advent calendar, there are 24 boxes to open. “It’s the flagship product of the end-of-year holidays. All the brands do it, and therefore the Advent calendar is not just for children,” affirms Christophe. The cheapest calendar in the store costs 110 euros. It costs 190 euros for the “premium” version. “We wait until the children are in bed to open the hut for the day”he adds. And like all Advent calendars, whatever the product inside, everyone is especially waiting for the December 24 box.
