SKIMS Refunds Buyers of $216 Advent Calendar After Backlash

SKIMS is refunding customers who paid US$148 (A$216) for an advent calendar that contained little more than hair ties, scrunchies and keychains. Kim Kardashian's underwear and sleepwear brand confirmed the refunds to Entertainment Weekly after a wave of scathing unboxing videos flooded Instagram, TikTok and Reddit this week.

The backlash started fast. SKIMS launched the accessories advent calendar this month alongside a new range of Christmas-themed loungewear and lingerie, promising "twelve days of fun surprises." Advent calendar panels are meant to be opened one day at a time in the run-up to December 25. A wave of social media influencers ignored that convention and unboxed the entire calendar in a single sitting — and their reviews ranged from disappointed to brutal.

What did buyers actually get for US$148?

Hair ties. Scrunchies. Keychains. Not one of the bras, shapewear pieces or pyjama sets that built the SKIMS name. US beauty and fashion influencer Kayla Ryan unboxed the assortment and declared it the "worst advent calendar ever." When she pulled out a second keychain, she called the product "terrible."

Reviewer Henna Ali, among the first to post her calendar online, was more measured but just as let down. "Kind of sad they didn't put an ornament in here, I was really hoping for that," Ali said. She followed up with a comment that left no ambiguity about the outcome: "Can confirm it has been returned."

Dozens of similar videos packed Instagram and TikTok within days, with users questioning how SKIMS arrived at the price point. On Reddit, the disappointment ran strong enough that some users floated a cynical theory: that SKIMS deliberately released an underwhelming calendar to drum up publicity before Christmas.

How did SKIMS respond?

With an apology, and with money. Beauty influencer Sean Anthony said on TikTok that he ordered the calendar online specifically to review it — and received an email from the label before the package even arrived.

"We wanted to reach out personally about your recent purchase of the Holiday 2026 advent calendar," SKIMS wrote, according to a screenshot Anthony posted. "We understand the product did not meet customers' expectations, and we are truly sorry."

The brand offered Anthony a full refund with shipping fees waived, or an equivalent amount in store credit. A SKIMS representative then confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the company will extend refunds to any customer disappointed by the product. That's a notable concession for a business that has built its valuation on hype-driven product drops.

Why do brands sell US$148 advent calendars at all?

Advent calendars were once the domain of chocolates and small plastic toys. Over the past 15 years, consumer brands have embraced them as a way to bundle mid-priced items into a single premium product. Commentators largely trace the premium trend to UK retailer Selfridges, which released its advent calendar in 2010.

The format taps into what economists and marketers call the "lipstick effect" — consumers reach for small luxuries even when major purchases are out of reach. The SKIMS calendar, at US$148, fits the pattern: a bundle of low-cost accessories dressed up as a festive event purchase.

The same psychology powers adjacent formats that have grown alongside the calendars: blind boxes, supermarket collectible giveaways like Ooshies, and trading cards. All of them fuse consumer goods with an element of chance — you don't fully know what you're buying until you open it.

The ceiling on the category keeps rising. Skincare, perfume and cosmetics brands now sell advent calendars stretching toward $1,000, and Australian retailer MECCA offers its own festive box sets. The premium calendar has become a standard holiday revenue line for beauty and fashion brands, not a novelty.

Has this happened before?

Yes, and at a higher price point. The SKIMS debacle is perhaps the highest-profile advent calendar failure since luxury fashion house Chanel sold a £604 calendar in 2021. TikToker Elise Harmon voiced her disappointment after finding perfume and lipstick inside — but also stickers, a badge and temporary tattoos.

Chanel told The Guardian that the contents of its calendar were clearly published online. The French luxury label still apologised to customers let down by what they found inside.

What does the refund decision signal?

SKIMS moved faster than Chanel did, offering proactive refunds before many buyers had even opened their boxes. But the episode lands a reputational cost either way: a brand synonymous with premium basics sold a US$148 box of accessories that customers returned within days of delivery.

The lesson for the holiday retail season is straightforward. Premium advent calendars only work when the revealed contents justify the bundled price — and in an era of same-day unboxing videos, brands find out publicly, and instantly, when they don't. Expect SKIMS and its peers to price and fill next year's calendars with that scrutiny in mind.