The advent calendar is a November product. It sells best between 1 and 20 November, and ordering in December is too late. Our 24-bottle calendar for 33 cl bottles costs EUR 6.40 each, per carton of 5, and assembles in four minutes without glue. Filled, it is ready in fifteen minutes.
The numbers are simple. Twenty-four compartments, one per December evening, 48 × 30 × 26 cm, about thirteen kilos when filled. The box is printed corrugated board, grade B today, with the sorting instruction on the side. It fits a 50 cm deep shelf and a 60 cm counter.
Why November
In the first ten days of November the customer buys their December gift. In the last ten days of November they buy their own stock. In December they only sell what is already on the shelf. For you that means: order in September, fill in the first week of November, sell from 1 November. The best window stands three units side by side, one open with the bottles inside. Anyone who sees the compartments understands the product without an explanation.
The ordering calendar
- June: you choose the contents. Twenty-four different beers is the strongest story, twelve is enough for the small version.
- September: you order the boxes. Ordered before 30 September, they arrive in the first week of October.
- October: you have your logo printed. One colour, one solid area, ten working days. Allow delivery around 20 October.
- First week of November: you fill. Fifteen minutes per box, two people, one hundred boxes a day.
- 1 November: you start selling. The first Saturday of November is the best day.
- 20 November: your last order. After that you sell what you have.
- 22 December: the last selling day before Christmas. A filled box no longer sells after the 24th.
The economics of 24 doors
A box costs EUR 6.40. Twenty-four 33 cl bottles cost you between EUR 30 and 60 depending on the brewer. A filled calendar sells between EUR 69 and 89. The margin is in the bottles, not in the box. The box is also the first thing the customer holds. A box that sags costs you the sale. Ours carries thirteen kilos without reinforcement, because the base is double-folded. The contents are the story. Put on the front: 24 beers, one per evening. Put on the back: the brewers, the names, the order. The customer who likes one beer comes back for the rest.
Without glue
The box assembles with four folds and two slots. No glue, no tape, no extra material. That is not only faster: it is also why the box will pass the checks in 2030 without problems. Corrugated board is mono-material and goes with paper and cardboard. Folding is also the risk. Lay the box flat and push the walls up and you tear the corner. Stand the box upright, press the base down, and the rest follows. Fill from the bottom up. Heavy bottles below, light ones above, numbers in the right order. Fill from the top down and you break the divider.
The three mistakes
- Ordering too late. After 30 September you wait for the next production run, and that one is for the large customers.
- Overfilling. Twenty-four bottles is the maximum. More does not fit, and the box loses its shape.
- No plan for the extras. Order five extra units for the window and the press. They never sell, but they sell the others.
Order your boxes this week. The 2027 collection is ready, stock is 406 units. In November that number is the only one your customer will want to see.