John Lewis sells out of umbrella featured in Christmas ad less than an hour after it launches

JOHN Lewis fans have been left gutted after the heart-shaped umbrella in its new Christmas 2020 advert sold out an hour after it was released.

The retailer had been selling the cute red umbrella for £25 on its website following the release of its advert.

⚠️Read our John Lewis Christmas advert live blog for the latest updates

The red heart-shaped balloon as it appears in the John Lewis advert

The 2020 advert, which is a joint release with sister retailer Waitrose, celebrates acts of kindness and encourages Brits to “give a little love”.

The umbrella is seen in the first scene, where a little girl wearing specs uses it to help a boy get his football down from the tree.

But fans hoping to get their hands on one were left disappointed after it sold out online.

Several of the t-shirts and pyjamas have also sold out.

The heart-shaped umbrella is now sold out online

Complaining on Twitter, one person said: “Love the advert! But is the heart shaped umbrella really out of stock already?!”

Another said: “The umbrella has already sold out!”

A third added: “Is the heart umbrella sold out already?”

Luckily, John Lewis told The Sun that they should be getting more stock of the umbrella. We’ll update this article when we know when this will be.

This year’s ad is a little different to previous releases and is made up of nine different scenes, with each one focusing on an act of kindness.

Each clip is also made from a different art form – including live action, CGI and animation – with the scenes being tied together by a heart emblem which is passed from scene to scene.

Fans of the John Lewis ad have been left gutted after being unable to get the umbrella

British soul singer Celeste is the voice behind this year’s advert with her original song A Little Love.

John Lewis has also released an additional 30-second advert on the side – you can watch it below – which encourages people to donate to this year’s partner charities partners, FareShare and Home-Start.

But what other merch is available this year, and how much goes to charity?

John Lewis Christmas advert merch 2020

Here's what merchandise you'll be able to buy this year from John Lewis — Here’s what merchandise you’ll be able to buy this year from John Lewis

There are t-shirts, pyjamas, mugs and candles to go with this year’s advert.

Better yet, profits from the sale of this year’s advert merchandise will go to FareShare and Home-Start.

Here’s what you’ll be able to buy this year:

There are five different t-shirts to choose from, but some have already sold out.

Ones that are already unavailable include a red t-shirt with a giant heart design, plus a black one with the Give a Little Love logo.

The children’s size white t-shirt with the Give a Little Love logo is also sold out, although there are adult sizes available.

John Lewis shops remain shut in England due to the four-week coronavirus lockdown, but customers can still order goods online for home delivery or click and collect.

John Lewis and Waitrose & Partners are on a mission to raise £4m for charities plus £1m for local charities this Christmas and we need your help to give a little love

How to donate to the John Lewis charity appeal

There are several ways you can help support both FareShare and Home-Start through John Lewis.

The retailer says donations worth £3 would give a gift to a child and £10 would help pay for a permanent carer for a set amount of time.

Make a charity donation which will be matched by the retailer to the value of £2million. Donations can be made by text or online through the John Lewis and Waitrose websites. Text “LOVE” to 70630 to donate £3, text “FAMILY” to donate £5, text “MEALS” to donate £10, or text “VISIT” to donate £20.
Buy one of a variety of exclusive and limited edition campaign products – see the full merchandise range here. John Lewis and Waitrose will give 100% of the profits to the charities.
Shopping in one of the two retailers’ shops and using your My John Lewis and My Waitrose loyalty card which will trigger a 1p per transaction donation.

If you can’t afford to donate, John Lewis is also encouraging people to show kindness to someone who needs it.

In addition, you can see if anyone in your local community needs support

Delivery is free on orders over £50, or £3.50 when you spend less than this.

Click and Collect is free when you spend £30, or £2 for orders under this amount.

John Lewis stores remain open in Wales and Scotland.

Previous John Lewis merchandise includes a sell-out plush Edgar the Dragon from its 2019 advert, as well as Moz the Monster toys from the 2017 release.

Toys are noticeably absent from this year’s list of merchandise.