The New Advent: Fewer Toys, More Books, Tea and Beauty

The first Advent is just around the corner, and many parents want to gift their children an Advent calendar, or one might want one for themselves. Some may be surprised: The days of plain chocolate calendars are over; the selection of products available today is gigantic. At Galaxus, alongside Advent calendars with chocolate or other sweets, there are, for example: Calendars with socks, tea, gemstones, jewelry, erotic items, tools, candles, puzzles, wine, and more. All types of products have their customers.

Daniela Sanzoni, Category Manager at Galaxus: 'More and more industries are branching out into the Advent calendar segment. Books are a typical example: Editions made specially for Advent are produced, featuring 24 mini-books or a story divided into 24 sealed sections.' In 2021, the share of book Advent calendars was just under 4 percent; it is now about 11 percent. Beauty calendars, for instance, now account for nearly 10 percent of sales, whereas in 2021, it was less than 4 percent.

The lion's share of sold Advent calendars, however, remains in the toy sector. The slice of the pie has indeed shrunk from 36 to 31 percent since 2021, but it remains the focus for many who want to delight children. This is also evident in the top 10 best-selling Advent calendars of 2025:

The Best-Selling Advent Calendars

October and November 2025

1. Kosmos EXIT - The Magic of Christmas

2. LEGO Minecraft

3. LEGO City

4. tiptoi My Big Advent Calendar

5. LEGO Star Wars

6. Rituals Wreath

7. Pokémon Calendar

8. Hot Wheels Advent Calendar

9. LEGO Harry Potter

10. Lindt Teddy Advent Calendar

Of course, Advent calendars are available throughout the year. But most (90 percent) are sold at Galaxus in October and November, with twice as many sold in November compared to October. In 2024, Galaxus customers ordered a six-figure number of Advent calendars, nearly twice as many as in 2021.

Are We Getting Lazy? Self-Fill Calendars on the Decline

The rise of themed or niche calendars is apparent when looking at sales trends: Calendars with socks, tea, wine, jewelry, or gemstones (=Others) accounted for nine percent of all sales at Galaxus in 2021. Now, almost one in five calendars is such a product. The 'Others' category has risen to 17 percent. Adding in books and beauty, the share rises to almost 40 percent. So, four out of ten calendars are no longer classic toys or chocolate.

The losers of this development are self-fill calendars. While every third Advent calendar sold at Galaxus in 2021 was one, by 2025, it's only every tenth. Are we becoming lazier? Daniela Sanzoni: 'I would interpret it differently: The range of very specific Advent calendars with high-quality, carefully selected products has simply grown so large that it is hard to resist. Furthermore, one really has to invest time to filter out the most suitable product for oneself. Being lazy is not an option.'

Media Contact:

Daniel Borchers
Senior Communications Manager
Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.de

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher.