Starbucks released its holiday merchandise on Nov. 6, and the brand-new “Bearista” cup has created chaos among customers. The glass teddy bear-shaped cup had customers waiting outside of store hours before opening just to get their hands on the product. Many are going to great lengths to buy the holiday cup, while others question if it is worth it at all.
The limited-edition Bearista cup sold out within minutes before many customers had the chance to make a purchase. Outraged shoppers took to social media to accuse Starbucks employees of buying the cup in advance of the store opening. Videos went viral when customers were seen verbally attacking employees and other shoppers. Stores across the country have reported on the disruptive behavior that has broken out from the public.
Evelyn Gunn, a fellow Watchdog editor and local Starbucks employee, stated, “My store last week got around 5-10 calls a day about the bear cup, and about the same number of people asking in person. They would walk in, ask and when we said that we’re sold out, they would either follow it up with ‘Is there another shipment coming?’ and leave after we say no, or just leave immediately.”
While the product appears to be a fun holiday treasure, fans of the item were not the only ones fighting to buy the Bearista cup. Resellers were quick to make the purchase and upcharge them for more than $400 on eBay, leaving much of the public in frustration.
This raises the question: Is this originally $30 cup worth its price? It’s not uncommon to see fads on the internet, but it seems like every year there is a new water bottle that is all the rage. The Bearista cup may be trending now, but will the popularity last for long?
Regarding the value of the Bearista cup, Gunn argued, “I don’t think that a cup should be that expensive or that sought after. It’s a super simple design that can be found at T.J. Maxx or Marshalls. Starbucks has always been great at its marketing, and I feel that people are at fault for feeding into it.”
Internet users brought up that Walmart is selling a nearly identical bear cup for significantly cheaper. The main difference is that it is missing the Starbucks branding. Many users on X questioned why the Bearista cup should cost twice as much, purely for wearing the Starbucks logo, with one user commenting, “Starbucks bear cup is a scam.”
Gunn continued her statement by saying, “It’s all about making mindful choices about what you buy and not making impulsive decisions based on trends. If you think about it for a while and decide you truly like the trend, then go for it! But if you already have a bunch of Christmas mugs, then I think you should use those first instead of getting a new one.”
The backlash prompted Starbucks to make an apology on the matter. A Starbucks spokesperson told FOX Business, “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations and, despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehouses than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast. We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused.”
Starbucks’ Bearista cups serve as a reminder that limited access mimics a false sense of value. If these were not limited-edition products, would the customers have been so hectic? The feeling of being excluded from an occasion that was advertised as a collective experience left customers disappointed when they had to leave empty-handed.
