I’ve watched many brands botch an apology, but Skims' response to the criticism over their advent calendar was the opposite of a botch. After a TikTok unboxing of its $148 advent calendar hit 47.7 million views, Skims apologized in record time and offered customers who bought the calendar a full refund or store credit. Brands that hide behind fine print or wait too long to respond to backlash risk losing customers permanently.
Here's what Skims got right, what I’d watch for next, and what I’d advise retail brands before a holiday launch.
What did Skims do when the calendar backlash hit?
Skims apologized and offered customers who purchased the calendar a full refund with free return shipping or $150 in-store credit to keep it. BuzzFeed published the Skims email after customers began circulating complaints online. A Skims spokesperson told TODAY the company had contacted customers, opting away from the usual “we hear you” apologies and offering an immediate fix.
What do I like most about the Skims apology letter?
What I like most is that Skims didn’t hedge, and they could have easily avoided responsibility. At launch, the calendar contents were public, and multiple consumers defended the brand on that point.
That’s the right playbook in crisis situations. Brands that hedge often win the argument about disclosure and lose the customer. I wrote about this issue when a bank tried to apologize its way past a bad tweet instead of owning it, and again when a founder’s apology appeared to be anything but . An apology that blames the customer isn't an apology.
The letter also made Skims’ solution near-frictionless for its customers. Every step a brand adds between “we apologize” and “here is your money” costs goodwill.
Was three days fast enough?
Three days was enough, because Skims used the time to bring solutions. People in my business love to say a brand has an hour to respond. A statement in an hour can be straightforward. A refund program for thousands of customers takes a little longer to get right.
Skims got the order of operations right and took care of their customers before speaking to the press.
Bethenny Frankel weighed in on the controversy, noting that Skims took responsibility and stayed calm. Frankel praised Skims and told brands under fire to stay steady without overreacting and Skims handled the problem successfully. I agree on all three counts.
Frankel went on to say she suspects the calendar was a deliberate marketing move. Maybe. If it was a stunt, the refund made it work. If it wasn't a stunt, the refund made it right. Either way, a customer (username @stickybestie) who was disappointed when she opened the calendar now says she is happy and that Skims handled it well. That’s the result that matters.
What should a retail brand do when a product misses a launch?
A strong retail crisis response centers on the customer's feelings, not who’s at fault. Here are four common options. I see brands in similar situations reach for some common outcomes:
| Option | When to use it | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Apology plus refund | Customers feel jilted | Costs refunds, earns back trust fastest |
| Humor, like Frankel’s coal tank top | Works only brand is playful and customers are in on the joke | Reads as mocking if the refund is not offered first |
| Defend the disclosure | Rarely; the product works as described, and few people are upset. | Wins the argument, loses the customer |
| Stay silent | Almost never once a video goes viral. | Complaint videos become a sole source of information |
For more on the brand side of crisis comms, see my crisis writing archive.
What’s the most important takeaway from this lesson?
Make it right with the customer before you fix the headlines. Skims put money back in people’s pockets before it went to the press. Retail brands with high-profile holiday drops should have that remedy approved before launch day, not drafted after the first viral video.
Skims backed a sincere apology with action and showed brands how to turn a viral complaint into a case study about how to treat its customers.
My team at 5W’s crisis practice helps brands build these types of plans before they need them.
Ronn Torossian is founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications and has lectured on crisis communications at Harvard Business School.