MEGA/WENN
SKIMS or SKAMS?
That’s the question fans are wondering this holiday season after the $148 SKIMS accessories advent calendar left consumers enraged!
If you’re unfamiliar, an advent calendar in general is a decorative countdown calendar that marks the days leading up to Christmas with something festive and surprising for each day. For example, a newspaper advent calendar might work with the newspaper releasing a full, blank calendar on the first day of December, and then each day you’d look through the paper to find the square needed for that day’s date — usually with a character like a snowman or a reindeer — cut it out, and affix it to your calendar. A simple ritual to keep anticipation for the holidays bright.
Related: Kim Kardashian Announces SKIMS Kids!
In recent years, however, fashion and beauty brands have been marketing their own version of the advent calendar by selling a highly stylized box full of branded items — like mini and full-size products — all mysteriously wrapped in each day’s compartment. The overall value of the box is usually supposed to be much higher than the sum of what each item would retail for, making it a practical gift in theory. Especially for people who like to sample a company’s offerings, or for anyone who just likes surprises.
Now, usually you’d just reveal one compartment’s contents each day, keeping with the actual meaning of an advent calendar. But in the age of unboxing trends, many influencers do it all at once to show followers the loot they hauled. And to spoil the mystery for anyone wondering if the box is really worth it.
Over the years there have been some remarkable duds. Like that one time Dior sold theirs for $3,500 and had the audacity to offer a candle for the goodie behind one compartment one day and then A STANDALONE CANDLE LID as the entire goodie for the next day.
This year, though, SKIMS really takes the fruitcake. Their $148 Accessories Advent Calendar was marketed as a festive collection of surprises featuring everything from hair accessories to keychains and other everyday favorites. However, shoppers who purchased the limited-edition box were less than impressed.
Among the items revealed were hair ties, scrunchies, bobby pins, keychains, hair clips, bra straps that doubled as headbands, and a small SKIMS-branded squishy toy. Yeahhh… SKIMS immediately soared to #1 on the Naughty List.
Some compared the accessories to items found at the bottom of a purse or underneath a car seat, while others questioned how SKIMS could justify charging nearly $150 for what they considered inexpensive trinkets.
The backlash became so widespread that SKIMS has now stepped in to address the complaints.
In a statement to People magazine, the company said in a statement:
“We are aware of the feedback on the advent calendar… for some, the calendar didn’t meet expectations. We have personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar and offered them a choice of a full refund or a SKIMS credit to put towards other products. We want every customer to be truly happy with what they receive from SKIMS. Their feedback matters to us and will directly shape how we approach future releases.”
Hey, at least they’re a company who can make it right!
Watch some of the reveals and reactions below:
What would you do in this situation? Would you return it and get a refund or take store credit??
[Image via MEGA/WENN]