The Starbucks Bearista Cup Has Created a Nationwide Frenzy
A limited-edition cup shaped like a bear has prompted physical altercations and sky-high resale prices.
Image Courtesy of Starbucks
Time and time again, we’ve seen people go wild for limited-edition merch — the cuter, the better. There was the Stanley cup craze last year, followed by the Trader Joe’s mini tote bags. And this week, there’s it’s the Starbucks Bearista cup.
What is the Starbucks Bearista cup?
Every year, the coffee giant releases a much-hyped holiday menu featuring seasonal cup designs. This time, the drop included something new: a 20-ounce glass cup shaped like a bear wearing a beanie. It’s meant for iced drinks and was priced at $29.95.
“This year we are leaning into the nostalgia of Starbucks holidays from our customers’ favorite seasonal beverages to iconic holiday cups, to shelves stocked with Christmas Blend and premium merchandise, including the popular glass Bearista cup,” a Starbucks spokesperson tells Food Network.
What’s the drama around the Bearista cups?
When demand far outweighs supply, you’ve got a recipe for chaos. That’s exactly what happened with the Bearista cups. Starbucks rolled out very few of them to its stores — sometimes just one or two per location, according to baristas on Reddit. Yet its promotional Instagram posts received over one million likes total in the days leading up to the launch.
Customers turned out in droves. Some lined up outside of stores before they opened at 5 a.m. Things quickly got out of hand from there.
“You’re watching people in New Jersey elbowing each other, trying to get their hands on Starbucks’ newest holiday product,” CNN says in a video. “The craze quickly turned into an online resellers’ dream.”
One TikTok video shows a coveted Bearista cup shattered on the floor of a store. Text over the video reads, “Who knew a holiday cup drop at Target would turn into a Black Friday brawl?”
“i’m so tempted to write a psych paper on this event,” a commenter says.
The Bearista cups sold out the same day they were released, November 6.
“When we opened at 8 on the dot, people came in and were buying three or four at a time. We were completely sold out by 8:04,” a Target barista says on Reddit.
A lot of the blame has fallen on baristas, who scrambled to keep up with the rush.
“I honestly have never seen so many people this desperate for merch,” a customer comments on another Reddit thread.
Some customers who did manage to snag a cup are now feeling buyer’s remorse after seeing the negativity around it.
Why did the Bearista cups sell out so fast?
Starbucks says it didn’t anticipate such high demand.
“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,” the Starbucks spokesperson says. “We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused. We have more exciting merchandise coming this holiday season.”
However, some people did see this coming. Food blogger Markie Devo, for instance, predicted the frenzy on October 15, weeks before it came true: “My prayers go out to the Baristas in November, may the spirit of the Bearista guide you,” his Instagram caption reads.
In the aftermath, many disgruntled customers have accused Starbucks employees of buying up the cups unfairly, before others got a chance to get their hands on them. Other customers and baristas alike are blaming the corporate rollout, arguing the scarcity was a strategy.
“Starbucks only gave stores 2-3 bear cups and then promoted it like crazy! Knowing that there was a limited number and would be a craze. If there’s anyone to blame, do it on corporate and not on the baristas,” a barista says on Reddit.
What can you do now if you still want a Bearista cup?
Starbucks hasn’t explicitly announced plans to restock the Bearista cups.
People are now reselling them on eBay, sometimes for hundreds of dollars. Others are (jokingly) recreating the cups by emptying plastic honey containers and inserting straws. Walmart even got in on that joke.
You can also find similar containers that scratch the same itch. Aldi is presenting its gingerbread man-shaped cup, dropping today for $4.99, as an alternative to the Bearista cup. People are claiming they’ve found dupes on Amazon, like this one currently listed for $15.99. But be warned: some orders have been cancelled by the sellers, leading to speculation that they’re scams.
At the end of the day, it’s probably important to keep in mind that, as cute as it is, the Bearista is just a cup. And, if it’s any consolation, it’s likely annoying to wash and doesn’t even fit in a car cupholder. So how badly do you need one, really?
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