It used to be that Advent calendars were mainly filled with family-friendly holiday goodies. The seasonal items were normally stocked with everything from chocolates to toys.
But in the year of the pandemic, a new category is growing in popularity that may provide some holiday cheer for adults: booze-filled calendars, with a different little bottle to open for every night during Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas.
This year, Walmart is selling a wine Advent calendar for the first time, priced at $69.98, to “offer our customers a way to wind down during the holidays or share [it] as a gifting option in lieu of gatherings,” the company said in an email to CNN Business. Another first-time offering from the retailer is a Crown Royal Whisky tasting calendar for $39.98.
Aldi, which has sold wine calendars since 2018, is going a step further and rolling out new beer and hard seltzer calendars this year, for $49.99 and $34.99, respectively. It also plans to launch a sparkling wine calendar next month.
Kroger has launched a new wine Advent calendar filled with 24 mini bottles of wines exclusively available at Kroger for $79.99.
Advent calendars can often be an impulse purchase for customers who come in to shop for essential items, said Phil Lempert, a consumer and retail trends expert and founder of SupermarketGuru.com.
The latest wave of alcoholic ones isn’t just about the sales.
“With wine Advent calendars, their marketing value…is significantly higher than their sales value in helping drive traffic,” said Christopher Durham, a brand consultant with expertise in the grocery industry. “You limit how many are available, thousands of people talk about them and you create buzz.”
