Supermarket chain Co-op has highlighted the last-minute online purchases made by panicked parents as they prepare for the return of Elf on the Shelf.
According to the Co-op, for many parents, prepping for the return of the annual elf activity is often a “last-minute pursuit”.
The supermarket created a dedicated ‘elf ideas’ shopping list on its website, from which it confirms the most popular items ordered.
The supermarket has reported that orders of hundreds and thousands are up 125% week on week. This is followed by Sellotape, which has seen its sales increase 92% week-on-week.
Also on the list are milk chocolate coins, plain white flour, Skittles, marshmallows, loo roll, cling film, large tortilla wraps and aluminium foil.
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Scarlett Rhodes, head of Q-Commerce – last mile and customer, said: “The annual return of the mischievous elf has established itself as a modern-day tradition, but we know that at such a busy time of year, many parents are time-pressed and the daily elf escapade is all-too-often a last minute thought. Our focus is on taking the stress out of top-up or forgotten items – delivering what you want and need, quickly and conveniently.”
Suggestions for Elf on the Shelf escapades include:
- Messages written in toothpaste
- Decorate eggs with funny faces
- Elf caught with flour and tray of mince pies / cookies
- Little footprints in flour / snow-angel in flour
- Elf tangled in sticky tape
- Warm and ‘toasty’ with hands / head through a slice of toast
- Story time / tea time with other toys
- Loo roll down the stairs (elf inside the tube)
- Elf rolled-up in tortilla wrap
- Caught with choc-spread on elf’s hands and face
- Elf with cotton-wool/marshmallow snow balls
