Starbucks apologizes for its bear cup drama. What’s behind the ‘Bearista’ frenzy?

Some phenomena in human history simply defy logic.

Dancing Plague 1518, for example. Bermuda Triangle. Images Jesus on toast.

Perhaps our task is not to fully understand these mysteries, but simply to marvel at them – and the same may be true in the case of a sudden, seemingly inexplicable, absolute madness above a cup in the shape of a little bear.

Coffee chain Starbucks on Thursday released a $43.95 “Bearista” glass iced cup as part of its new holiday collection, and it's not just a glass with a hat. sell out almost immediatelyBut videos circulating on the internet show clients fighting each other to capture one.

Empty-handed fans lined up before dawn share your outrage on social networksresellers listing them on eBay for $1,400, and Starbucks even apologized for disappointment amid allegations that the company only shipped a few cups to select stores.

“Shame on you Starbucks, shame on you,” someone wrote on Starbucks subreddit Thursday, who says he woke up at 4:30 a.m., went to several stores and couldn't find the cup.

“The girls at my Starbucks were physically fighting over them,” someone wrote online. Starbucks Instagram mail.

“A corporation sending an average of only two pieces per store doesn't matter, which can cause a carnage,” someone else wrote on Reddit.

Starbucks told CBC News it shipped more Bearista cups to stores this holiday season “than almost any other product,” but did not provide numbers.

“The excitement for our products has exceeded even our highest expectations,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“We understand that many customers were delighted with the Bearista cup and apologize for any disappointment this may have caused.”

But what, pray tell, is so special about the cup that, like many notedlooks like a cross between Billy B a bottle of honey and these vintage things Kraft Peanut Butter Jars? And why was it so difficult for people to get it?

We will try to explain the drama.

The cup is born

Bearist Cup, it seems first announced on October 6a month before it went on sale in North America as part of the chain's holiday promotion.

“Your drinks have never looked so cute,” Starbucks wrote in an online description of the cup, topped with a green hat and striped straw. “WHo will receive the Bearista Cup on November 6, LMK [let me know]chain posted to Instagram on Wednesday.

The reaction was immediate. “If I don't get one of these, I'll cry,” wrote TV host Raven Gates, who was at Bachelorin the comments of a Starbucks Instagram post.

“Wait this is so cute,” influencer Piper Phillips wrote.

“Oh my god I LOVE THIS ” wrote Elise Myers, comedian, influencer and writer.

Articles started circulating in the media about how and when to get it, with Parade calling the bear-shaped cup “the unexpected star of the season.”

The madness begins

The problem, according to many, many people complaining online, is that it's unlikely anyone will be able to buy one of the cups once they're released.

Some people, including some Starbucks employees on Redditclaim that Starbucks only sent a few Bearista cups to each store—in some cases, just one or two cups, according to employees commenting on Reddit.

Others claim Store employees were allowed to buy cups first, which depleted the limited supply (although Starbucks subreddit moderator states that this is not usually allowed). The same moderator said that Starbucks does not place any limits on the number of cups each customer can buy.

One video published online Three customers seem to be seen fighting over one cup.

In Houston, Texas Police called to Starbucks before dawn to break up Bearist's fight.

“When it's 5am and drama is brewing,” wrote a Harris County constable. Mark Herman in a Facebook post where he explains that the reports have come in about “several people who refuse to leave the store and start fighting.”

“Deputies are on scene restoring peace before anyone spills a latte or loses a teddy bear,” he said.

Another TikTok video with 2.2 million views Currently, influencer Jared Mecham chronicles trying to track down a mug for his wife, visiting three stores before 6 a.m. and leaving empty-handed.

“Sorry, but now I'm determined to get it,” Mechem tells his wife Ellie at the end of the video.

“No, that’s how it works,” Ellie says. “This is marketing. Good marketing. But I'm not going to support this nonsense.”

So what now?

While it's worth repeating that Starbucks says it shipped more Bearista cups to stores “than almost any other product this holiday season,” this wouldn't be the first time the company has successfully used scarcity marketing strategies to create demand.

That's why famous pumpkin spice latte only available in autumn, why is it available for a limited time? Unicorn Frappuccino sparks a frenzy in 2017 and why Valentine's Day collaboration with Stanley caused chaos in stores last year.

“Many brands are capitalizing on their understanding of human psychology by offering limited editions and exclusive products that consumers will be excited to buy.” Farnoosh Reshadi, Associate Professor of Marketing Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Worcester, Massachusetts, the retail publication reported. Retail last year when discussing collaboration with Stanley.

Starbucks didn't respond to CBC News when asked if it would restock Bearista, saying only, “We have even more exciting items this holiday season.”

But if you're dead set on a Bearista cup and don't want pay through gritted teeth for one on eBay, you still have options. Amazon And Shein are already offering deceivers.

Or, if you're not that picky, you can always go to your local grocery store and buy some honey.