Boots has responded to widespread condemnation of YouTube star Zoella’s Christmas advent calendar by halving its retail price.
Zoella, who has over 12 million subscribers on the video sharing platform – most of whom are teenagers – received a tirade of criticism online after her 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar hit shelves for £50.
The calendar, which is sold solely at Boots, contains items like cookie cutters, a pen, and a pack of seven stickers, leading many shoppers to accuse it of being overpriced.
Boots responded by slashing the price.
“We are sorry to hear that the price of the Zoella 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar has disappointed a number of customers,” the retailer said.
some kids don’t even get £50 on a christmas present, yet zoella is expecting people to pay £50 for an advent calendar with two shite cookie cutters, a pen, notebook (not in the same box), two candles, a room spray, and a purse that i could get cheaper pretty much anywhere, cunt
— emily (she/her) (@emilyrcberts) November 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/AlissaIsABaddie/status/930799229563559936
https://twitter.com/ThomasRileyUK/status/930570405319987200
The YouTube star has also sought to defend the product after the backlash.
“The calendar is something I’ve worked on for a year,” Zoella said on her YouTube channel.
“I love the product, I’m all about the creativity, I’m all about getting it from a design to a product. Where my input ends is there.
“Once that product is done and I am happy with it, the retailer can decide how much they sell that for, that’s completely out of my decision making. I don’t have the right to make those decisions.
“So it makes me so sad that a product that I loved and worked hard on, and loads of you liked the product, it’s just having that product at that price that was out of my decision, has left so many people so upset.”
https://twitter.com/bubbleselliez/status/930892703369490433
The 27 year-old launched her fashion video blog eight years ago.
Since then she has amassed millions of followers and written the fastest-selling debut novel ever, Girl Online.
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