For $29.95, Starbucks promised a teddy bear in a hat—and a glimpse of late-stage consumer capitalism. Instead, he got a stampede. The chain's new glass Bearista Cold Cup, a 20-ounce holiday collectible drink shaped like a bear wearing a hat (lid) in the company's signature green color, sold out within hours of its Nov. 6 launch, leaving lines, fights and apologies in its wake.
Starbucks has been teasing the cup for weeks as part of the 2025 Holiday Specialand by dawn the clients had already set up camp. Some stores reportedly only received one or two units. The rest ran out before opening. Posts on social networks accused employees of buying a cup before customers had the opportunity. Videos of the brawl went viral online, turning the marketing stunt into a viral fiasco that looked less like a cozy season debut and more like a Black Friday all-out brawl.
By Friday, the resale market had taken over. On eBay and Mercari, a $30 cup starts at $150. up to over $1000 — even glassware is not immune to speculative madness. For a company that built its brand on consistency and calm, the Bearista debacle shows just how far Starbucks has leaned into the hype economy: a promise of access that relies on its own impossibility. And Starbucks has seen this movie before – Red Cup Day chaos, Stanley Cup-level obsession, and now the holiday mascot has become a speculative asset.
The company tried to get ahead of the outrage by admitting that “the excitement for our products has exceeded even our highest expectations” and that despite sending “more Bearista cups to coffee shops than almost any other product this holiday season,” they still sold out. “We understand that many customers were excited to receive a Bearista cup and apologize for any disappointment this may have caused,” the company said in a statement.
This note may not be enough to induce caffeine goodwill. For some longtime fans, this year's release may seem like another test of patience from a brand that now seems to rely more on collectible drops and limited-edition advertising than a pure coffee shop experience. The network hasn't said anything about Bearista restocking; the company has promised “more exciting products” this holiday season, but it may need more than just new glassware to live up to expectations.
All this chaos has unfolded as Starbucks tries to regain its footing under CEO Brian Niccol, whose “Back to Starbucks” plan aims to restore the company's credibility after several turbulent years. The strategy, which has been implemented for a year, has begun to show the first results: global sales in one store grew by 1% in the last quarter – the first positive result in almost two years, and revenue increased by 5% to $9.6 billion. However, profitability remains low. GAAP earnings fell sharply due to restructuring costs related to hundreds of store closures and nearly 900 corporate layoffs, and the company's shares hovered around $84 over the past month. The brand that once promised a third-place haven is now trying to convince Wall Street—and its own workforce—that stability can once again become a growth story.
Bearista was meant to be cute, collectible and harmless. Instead, the caffeine crisis came quickly and Starbucks got the slump it expected.
