SKIMS $148 Advent Calendar Unboxing Goes Viral With 65 Million Views: Hair Ties and Bobby Pins Prompt Full Refunds for Every Buyer
On November 9, U.S. brand SKIMS said it had offered every buyer of its $148 holiday advent calendar a choice of a full refund or SKIMS credit for the full amount. The calendar had been pushed into the spotlight by unboxing videos on TikTok: a November 6 video by influencer Kayla Ryan has drawn more than 65 million views and more than 8 million likes, showing mostly hair ties, bobby pins and keychains inside a box priced at $148, a contrast that prompted many other buyers to post their own frustrated unboxings.
SKIMS is the lingerie and loungewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian in 2019. Its site describes the accessories advent calendar as a mix of playful items and everyday favorites, built around 12 days of surprises. In her video, Ryan opens the compartments one by one, revealing different types of hair ties and bobby pins, keychains, foam squishys and a set of bra-strap style headbands. She says in the video that she is hoping it is a prank and that the last day hides a $150 gift card returning her money.
According to USA TODAY, a SKIMS representative said in a statement on November 9: "We understand that the calendar didn't meet expectations and 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." Two days after her video, Ryan also shared the refund email she received, which acknowledged that for some, the calendar didn't meet expectations.
On Threads and other platforms, users described the contents as resembling things that fall between car seats and behind sofas, and one called it the Fyre Festival of advent calendars. At the same time, the calendar is listed as sold out on the SKIMS site, where shoppers can join a waitlist.
Advent calendars have become a holiday limited-edition staple for beauty and fashion brands, usually sold on the promise that the contents are worth more than the price. How SKIMS's decision, made three days after the unboxing went viral, to offer every buyer a refund or credit will affect the brand and future sales remains to be seen.
Source: SKIMS
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: SKIMS门店资料图（Ajay Suresh摄，CC BY 4.0，经Wikimedia Commons；非涉事日历实物图）
