Since Starbucks announced the Bearista cup on Instagram on October 6, everyone has been clamoring for one. On the first day, the reactions were immediate.
“If I don’t get one of these, I’ll cry,” wrote TV personality Raven Gates, who was on The Bachelor, in the comments of Starbucks’ Instagram post.
On November 6, the Bearista goblets went on sale in Canada and the United States, and in several stores, they sold out within hours due to unexpectedly high demand. There were also rumors that certain employees had purchased them before the stores opened.
Customers lined up before stores opened, with a few waiting overnight from as early as 9 p.m. the night before the November 6 release, only to find stores had minimal stock. Many customers were arguing and pushing, and others skipped those who were waiting in line.
“Shame on you, Starbucks, shame on you,” wrote someone on the Starbucks subreddit Thursday, who said they woke up at 4:30 a.m., went to multiple stores, and still couldn’t find one.
Fights broke out over the limited-edition Starbucks Bearista cup because it was highly sought after, sold out quickly, and resold for inflated prices. Shoppers were physically fighting for this product, and a few individuals were injured in certain Starbucks locations.
In Houston, Texas, police were called to a Starbucks before dawn to break up a fight between customers.
Customers want the cup mainly because it is branded by Starbucks, it is cute, and it is a limited-edition item. In addition, social media hype has driven demand even higher, with many buyers wanting it despite the high price. Posts about the cup, along with people searching for it and the rush to find one, have only increased its popularity.
The fact that it is not available in every store also makes customers want it more, creating a sense of urgency. Finally, because it is a limited edition, only a small number were produced, and it may never be rereleased, leading many rereleased fans to feel they need to buy one at any cost.
Several shoppers were mad about the price, saying it’s really not worth it, while others were willing to pay even more.
Others said it is hard to clean due to its unusual shape, that it’s only for cold drinks, and that there’s nothing particularly unique about it—you could find something similar for a much lower price.
“$30?? It’s ridiculous!” said various commenters online and also to Starbucks employees.
While plenty of customers are complaining, others are buying them for extremely high prices on resale sites like eBay. They are selling for as much as $1,400, and several were actually sold at those enormous prices.
Starbucks apologized to customers for the limited number of cups available, as the shortage had caused fights and arguments.
“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,” Starbucks told customers on Nov. 6. “We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused.”
