What was supposed to be a light-hearted festive launch sadly left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Starbucks fans this week – so much so, that the coffeehouse firm has issued an apology.
The chain announced the release of their brand new ‘Bearista Cold Cup’ on Thursday (6 Nov) – a 20-ounce, bear-shaped tumbler, complete with a green-straw ‘beanie’ lid – after giving fans a first glimpse on Instagram the day prior.
The same day that the Christmassy new cups landed in stores around the world, however, Starbucks representatives were forced to issue a statement of regret, after fans were left sorely disappointed.
But why? Well, because within a matter of hours of the release, they’d completely sold out.
The festive product sold out within a matter of hours (Instagram/@starbucks)
Venting their frustration, one Reddit user wrote: “I waited an hour before open to get the Bearista cup. We witnessed an employee pulling both off the shelf and buying them two minutes before store open, right in front of us waiting outside.”
Another claimed: “I asked a few stores around my area yesterday. They told me they will have zero when stores open since employees get first dibs.”
Others questioned why the roastery chain had heavily promoted the item, knowing they wouldn’t be able to supply the demand.
“Not cool marketing Starbucks to only have 1–2 at each store and allow your baristas to buy them before customers,” a third wrote online.
As we say, the backlash became so intense that Starbucks was subsequently forced to issue a formal apology, acknowledging that demand had ‘exceeded expectations’ and that many customers were left disappointed.
Starbucks issued an apology (Instagram/@starbucks)
“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,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologise for the disappointment this may have caused.”
The Starbucks representative also went on to insist that coffee-lovers could expect ‘more exciting merchandise coming this holiday season’, though opted not to specific exactly what this would look like.
That said, however, the brand did recently launch their 2025 Holiday Menu, which includes fan-favourites like the much-loved Sugar Cookie and Iced Gingerbread Chai.
